Lying to Myself
by Pixie-Sarah
Summary: What do you get when you mix Snape, Hermione, a pair of tight hot pink leather pants, a spoon, and a really really big hole? Hermione doesn't want to believe it either, but there is no escape and there is no denying the inevitable.
1. The Spoon

Lying to Myself 

Chapter One - The Spoon

Hermione shut the hardcover book on her lap. For the last hour she had been just staring at the page and it was time to give up and go to sleep. The candle light made the gold title shine, contrasting deeply with the midnight blue cover.

A yawn escaped her lips, and she slid her book into her well worn book bag. She had used the same bag all seven years in Hogwarts—it proved very durable, but it was starting to pucker at the seams. Closing the bag, Hermione extinguished the candle and drew the cover up around her.

Being head girl had its bonuses, being able to stay up reading to one's heart content was one of them. It beat having to go back and forth from the library because Parvati and Lavender couldn't sleep with the light on.

Closing her eyes, Hermione thought about next day's classes and next weeks dance.

O0o0o0o0o0o

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Hermione groaned as she opened one eye in order to coordinate her hand to the off button on her alarm clock. She hated the alarm clock just as much as charmed mirrors, but it had been a gift from Ron for Christmas that year and there wasn't much she could do about it.

Slowly sitting up in her bed, the head girl swung her legs over the side and stood up. She didn't know how she would be able to even make it to the shower across the room, but she did it.

The only thing that woke Hermione the second time was the shower water eventually turning cold. She knew then that whoever said you can't sleep standing up never spent thirty days in a row with only two hours of sleep each night.

Hermione turned off the shower, wrapping a towel around herself. Her reflection in the mirror tutted at her sadly.

"You poor dear. Bags under your eyes… Hair like that… You look like a drowned rat," it informed rudely, looking her up and down. Hermione rolled her eyes, responded, "So do you." And left the bathroom, brush in hand,

Sometimes she didn't know why she even owned a brush, it didn't make much of a difference, and it would be easier to Snape to give Neville an A+ in potions than to brush her hair when wet. Looking at the brush in her hand, Hermione thought better of it and performed a simple drying spell on the wet mass of tangles.

Choosing what to wear wasn't so hard either. Standard robes made it east, and after dressing, Hermione made her way back to her books for some quick reading before breakfast. A knock on the door stopped that however.

Seamus stood in the doorway with a warm, welcoming smile.

"Hey Herm, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk before breakfast." Hermione nodded in reply and went to get her coat. Then, they both walked out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

0o0o0oo00o

During breakfast everyone was fairly quiet. Ron and Harry discussed quidditch between mouthfuls and Ginny joined in once in a while. Hermione studied them closely, and thought about the over six years they had spent together, and yet her two best friends hadn't seemed to have changed much.

Both were just as immature, paid just as much attention to studies as she did to quidditch, and ate like starved pigs. Seamus was different from both of them somehow, the biggest difference being his ability to not continuously ramble about quidditch around her, yet he had other deeming qualities about himself as well.

Somehow it seemed strange to Hermione that she never gave Seamus a second glance before he asked her o go to Hogsmeade with him in sixth year. Back then she couldn't see why the other girls were drawn to him, but now… it was hard to believe it had almost been a year for them.

"Hermione?"

Hermione swirled her head to where the noise came from. Her eyes focussed on Ron after a short while.

"Yes?" She quickly replied.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"You said 'Hermione'," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Ron rolled his eyes.

"I said: 'Are you coming to the quidditch game today?' I mean considering you didn't come last game…" He trailed off accusingly.

"That wasn't my fault!" she protested, "You KNOW I had detention with Filch that day!"

Harry, Ron, and Seamus all laughed in response and Hermione gave them all a look.

"That's what happens when you get caught in the restricted section," Harry laughed, but stopped when he saw Hermione tapping her nails against the table.

A nervous chuckle escaped Harry's throat. Then the bell for classes rang.

"Oh! Potions! Gotta run!" Harry announced cheerfully before running off. Seamus took Hermione's hand.

"C'mon Herm, let's go!" Both of them walked off together towards the potions classroom.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Snape casually walked down the rows, sceptically eyeing each potion.

"Very good Mr. Malfoy," he congratulated, "Ten points to Slytherin."

"You have to wonder," Harry whispered to Ron, "Why even though Snape continuously gives points to Slytherin and takes points from us—we still win the house cup every year."

"What was that Mr. Potter?" Snape snapped.

"Nothing sir."

"Ten points from Gryffindor!" the potions teacher declared. Harry gave Ron a knowing look.

"Now, let's see how your potion's doing Mr. Potter," Snape took one look at the murky orange colour and cringed.

"Can you tell me one thing that Mr. Potter did wrong Ms. Granger?" Snape asked snidely to the young Gryffindor behind the potions book. Snape could see Seamus nudge her urgently.

Using his long, spidery fingers, Snape reached out and grasped the potions book from his student, revealing her to be in quite a deep sleep.

"MS. GRANGER!" He shouted, outraged that a student dare fall asleep in his class. All the Slytherins were laughing hysterically, and all Snape had to do was give them one of his evil glares and they shut up.

Hermione woke with a start to her potions teacher's shouts and was immediately sorry. His pale face was almost red with anger, and he clutched her book a little too tightly. Hermione looked to Seamus for support, but he was staring wide eyed at the potions master.

"I'm sorry…" Hermione mumbled but Snape smiled and shook his head. It wasn't a nice smile or forgiving smile, it was an evil… maniac smile.

"You Ms. Granger," Snape addressed her civilly, "Just earned yourself a week's detention with Filch." Snape turned back to the board, picking up the chalk with his left hand.

"NO—" Hermione began, dreading another detention with the disgusting old man. Snape turned around sharply.

"What was that Ms. Granger?"

"No…thing could make me happier." She tried a smile and failed.

"Oh good," he smirked, "I'm sure he'll enjoy the company."

Seamus gave Hermione an apologetic look, but it seemed to be wasted on her. An entire week… with Filch no less. Could things get worse? She didn't think so.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Ten points from Gryffindor for helping Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Granger. Oh, and by the way, how was your detention with Filch?" Snape smiled smugly and turned around.

Hermione was not impressed.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Five points for giving Mr. Weasley the correct answer Ms. Granger."

Hermione mumbled incoherently under her breath.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

"Another five points from Gryffindor."

O0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0

Hermione stood outside of the potions classroom, holding Seamus' hand.

"I won't give him any reason to take points from me today, I won't!"

"Good idea. I'm sorry Hun, but we can't afford much more to be taken off."

"Ten points from Gryffindor Ms. Granger, this is a classroom and public displays of affection are entirely inappropriate."

Seamus immediately released Hermione's hand.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I am going to kill him," Hermione gritted through her teeth to Seamus, Harry and Ron as they walked down the hall from potions class.

"I am appalled, Ms. Granger," came a voice from behind her, dripping with sarcasm. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"And what is the main ingredient?" Snape addressed the classroom, scanning it over for anyone who knew the answer, ignoring the hand that belonged to the girl with the frizzy hair.

"No one?"

Hermione's hand stayed up.

"I am very disappointed in you class. One would think you did none of the assigned reading."

Hermione's hand danced in the air.

Snape stared at her blankly.

"Are you conducting music Ms. Granger?" Snape asked dryly. Hermione shook her head.

"Then what in Merlin's name are you doing?" Hermione put her hand down.

"Five points from Gryffindor for distracting my class."

Seamus had to hold her down.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The morning was finally over, and all Hermione wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep. Any hope was crushed however when she saw Dumbledore walk towards her.

"Ms. Granger, if I could have a word?" he asked politely, acknowledging the others with a nod. Hermione followed behind the headmaster as he walked down the hallway to his office. After he announced his password ("turkish delight") the two walked through and up the ascending staircase. Hermione felt slightly anxious, but swallowed any apprehension when she was invited to sit down. The feeling danced in her stomach.

"Ms. Granger… I've asked to speak with you today because I am a little concerned. Before this year, I do believe you had received detention once. This month alone… well it has come to my attention that you have been going for detention every day this week, and once last week."

Hermione's cheek shone red.

"It's really nothing to worry abut headmaster. I just fell asleep in potions accidentally… and tonight's my last night in detention."

"Fell asleep, Ms. Granger? That isn't like you at all."

Hermione looked down at the floor.

"I just haven't had much time to sleep lately." She remarked lamely, playing with the cuffs on her sleeves.

"Well may I suggest you make some? It's not healthy to go without sleep like that for such a period of time." Dumbledore chastised softly.

"I know…"

"Now," he switched topics quickly, "What is all of the commotion I've heard about losing house points?"

Hermione turned red again, for a different reason this time.

"Sir, I think that there are certain staff members in this school that really are not suitable for the position."

Dumbledore laughed at this, unable to keep the chuckles from rolling out. Lately, the headmaster seemed so old and worn, but when he laughed… he seemed to come alive. The paleness of his skin would light up and the colour in his eyes swirled, he seemed immortal like that.

"Would you like a candy corn Ms. Granger?" Hermione shook her head and laced her fingers together on her lap.

"What do you know about Professor Snape, Ms. Granger?" His eyes sparkled.

"I know that he enjoys to make me suffer, and that he hates the world. That he seems to live in black, he takes his coffee everywhere, his favourite words are 'points', 'from', and 'Gryffindor'. Also that he's good at potions, he was a Death Eater, he's now a spy, and he needs to wash his hair."

"Well, you're more observant that I give you credit for," The headmaster sounded amused, and the twinkle in his eye remained.

"But still, I believe I know a great deal more than you, and he is indeed suitable for his position. Maybe if you tried to understand him, you'd think so too. Not everyone is as black and white as your Mr. Finnegan."

Hermione nodded and, sensing that she was being excused mumbled a farewell and walked out into the hallway, Seamus was waiting for her.

"Hey Herm," he greeted her pleasantly, searching her eyes to see how she was doing.

"Hey."

"What did Dumbledore want?" he asked curiously as they both walk down the corridor to the great hall for lunch.

"He was just worried, with all of my detentions and all," she answered without interest. Seamus nodded in understanding and smiled.

"So is everything ready for Friday's Dance?"

Hermione's eyes went wide, and she stopped in her tracks.

"Oh no! I completely forgot!"

"Figured," Seamus smiled, drawing a shrunken box from his pocket, "That's why I got you this." Seamus drew out his wand and resized the box, making it as big as his torso.

"Here," Seamus handed Hermione the box, and she opened it, revealing its contents.

"Ginny helped me pick it out, I hope you like it. I figured with detention every night leading up to the ball you wouldn't have a chance. So…"

Hermione drew the dress out of the cardboard box, holding it by the sleeves in front of her. It was a beautiful red colour, and the hem would most definitely touch the ground when she tried it on. It had to have been expensive…

"Thank you so much Seamus Finnegan!" Hermione exclaimed as she went on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, "I'll be right back, I'm going to try it on right now—I'll meet you in the great hall!" she called back as she ran in the opposite direction, the dress in hand. Seamus smiled to himself and walked towards lunch.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Lunch was the same as any other day. Ron and Harry sat beside each other across from Hermione, munching away at their food and talking about the quidditch game.

"Y'know," Ron began, and Hermione cringed at the sight of the food in his mouth.

"You've missed the last two games Hermione."

"That's not fair!" Hermione spluttered on her own food. "You know I was in detention BOTH times!"

Harry smiled mischievously. "And I thought you were a model student." Hermione glared at Harry and returned to her food.

"Well you're gonna be at tomorrow's game, right Herm?" Seamus asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye. Hermione nodded happily in response, giving an ecstatic smile.

"Tonight is my last night with Filch."

"And what a sad night it'll be," came a smooth voice from behind them. Everyone looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing there, a satisfied smirk on his pale face.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Seamus spar, clearly unhappy at the interruption. Malfoy ignored him entirely, looking towards Hermione.

"My father once told me to be careful who you spend your time with because if you spend enough time with someone you'll start to 'enjoy their company'. I can't say I really believed him then… but I guess you've proved it Granger."

Seamus sprang from his seat at the table, his face red.

"You have no right to talk to Hermione that wa—"

"Shove it Finnigan," Draco interrupted, still eerily calm, "If I were you, I'd be more concerned. With your girlfriend cheating on you with Filch and all. To think Filch could out-bed you."

This time it was Hermione's turn to jump from her seat. None of the Gryffindor boys could recall seeing the head girl so mad. She was seething.

"You are… going down Malfoy," she breathed through her teeth, clenching her fists together tightly. Draco looked at his nails.

"I'd duel with you Granger, but I'd rather not loose my head boy badge, sorry." He was not very sincere. Hermione reached behind her, her eyes never leaving Draco. She groped blindly at the table, clasping her hand around the first thing she could reach.

"A spoon, Granger?" Draco seemed very amused, "I'm supposed to be scared of a spoon?"

Hermione shook her head and smiled like a mental patient. "Not of the spoon," she replied, "But of me, holding the spoon." At that Hermione held the spoon in the air, and the two stood there, watching each other.

Then Draco ran.

And Hermione ran after him.

Seamus thought he heard Hermione scream, "You can run, but you can't hide!" as she ran after him out of the great hall, but he wasn't sure. Yet the looks on Ginny, Ron , and Harry's faces told him he wasn't hearing things.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Later, in Herbology class Seamus, Harry and Ron could not contain their laughter. Draco sat by the wall, trying to hide the spoon shaped bruise on his right cheek by resting it against the wall. Unfortunately for him, Professor Sprout had ordered him to go to Madame Pomfrey to get a bag of ice, and he had to hold it there, testifying to Hermione's wrath.

Lucky for the head girl, Malfoy's pride was too high to admit to the mediwitch who had beaten him up. Ron gave Hermione a very gleeful hug when he saw Malfoy after, and Hermione couldn't help but tap her pocket which now contained the spoon.

All four of the Gryffindors were surprised when the Herbology professor dismissed them, and happily started for their common room before dinner.

"Herbology class went by really quickly," Seamus commented conversationally to his fellow Gryffindors.

"Time flies when you're making fun of Malfoy," Harry laughed, before saying the password to the fat lady and walking in the room with the rest.

The portrait swung back into place, just as the three boys heard a mumbled yelp that sounded particularly close to a drowning llama. Seamus, Harry and Ron all turned to see Hermione was not with them and ran back outside into the hall.

Hermione sat on the floor just outside the Gryffindor common room, surrounded by a bunch of book, her worn out bag on her lap.

"My bag broke," she whined to the three, who rolled their eyes and stepped forward to help her with her books and scrolls.

"Honestly Herm, I don't know how that book bag survived even that long," Seamus said, walking back into the common room. Ron and Harry placed the books they were carrying on the coffee table and sat down on the couch. Hermione and Seamus followed.

"Ya, but what am I gonna do now? I don't have any time to go to Hogsmeade this week, and I NEED something for my books."

"You could transfigure something into a book bag," Ron suggested, happy to think of a solution before the head girl. Hermione nodded her head in agreement before coming up with the next dilemma.

"But what?" she asked no one in particular. They all shrugged.

"I'll be right back," she sighed before walking off towards her own room, in hope of finding something to transfigure. Hermione did not have very many options. Her eyes scanned the room for a candidate.

Bed… she needed a bed. Pillows… she couldn't part with those, her blanket too. Dresser… she needed her dresser. The contents on her dresser? No, too small. Clothes?... she needed clothes, but… Hermione shuffled through the hanging clothes in her walk-in closet. On one particular hanger hung a pair of pants that Seamus gave her. They were nice, but hot pink leather didn't really suit her. Besides, they were too tight for her liking.

Making a very easy decision, Hermione took the pair of pants from her closet and transfigured them into a school bag.

It was hideous.

But it would have to do… for now.

Hermione ran out of the room, bag in hand and headed to the table to begin putting the books back into the bag.

Harry and Ron looked incredulously at the bag, and then back at each other.

"What was that before?" Ron snorted, eyeing the bag slightly.

"A pair of pants," she responded, sliding her books into it. Harry and Ron stared wide-eyed at their female friend, and Seamus looked at the ground.

"Where did you get a pair of pants like that?" Harry coughed wildly.

"Seamus—" Hermione began innocently.

"Didn't like them very much either." Seamus interrupted frantically.

"I wouldn't suggest using those, Herm." Seamus almost pleaded, his cheeks very red. Hermione shrugged.

"It's okay. The transfiguration charm won't last that long anyway. It's only temporary, until I can get to Hogsmeade."

"Won't it just change back suddenly then?" Ron asked.

"In a week or so," Hermione answered, "But I'll get a new one before that. It's fine."

"No, really Hermione," Seamus stopped to glare at the sniggering Ron and Harry, "I'll lend you a pair of my pants or something."

"It's okay Seamus. Really, I know they don't look very practical but it's not a very big deal," Hermione assured him, closing the bag and doing up the flap's buckle. Seamus put his head in his hands.

"Okay guys, let's go to dinner. I have a detention I have to get over with." Hermione half suggested.

Seamus stood up, waiting for his two friends to finally get over their fits of laughter and come for dinner. Just the n Ginny came into the common room.

"What's so funny?" she asked Seamus, who quickly grabbed her forearm and dragged her to the exit way. Seamus yelled over his shoulder he would meet them in the great hall and left, Hermione following behind with her bag. Finally the two boys left as well, just to start up again when they saw the bag at the dinner table. This time, Ginny joined with them.

Parvati commented on how cute she thought it looked.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was almost embarrassing for Hermione. Everyone she knew made some kind of comment about the hot pink pants bag. One boy even ventured to ask if the bag was a gift from Filch. She also found it odd how Seamus always had some reason to be away from her that day. He forgot his books, or he had to stay and talk to the professor, etc. He was acting very strangely.

When she arrived at potions, Seamus still wasn't there. She sat down and glared at Draco who was rudely staring at her. Harry and Ron entered shortly after Hermione and sat down behind her.

"Where's Seamus?" Ron bent over and asked Hermione, a noticeable smirk on his face. Harry nudged the red head just as Snape came in, looking less like 'The Bat From Hell' than usual. Immediately after entering, Snape called Draco to the board to write out the ingredients for that day's potion. Hermione quickly copied out the potion's components and started on the potion.

No matter how hard she tried, Hermione couldn't concentrate on her potion. Her mind continuously went back to Seamus and why it seemed like he was ignoring her today. Really she didn't know what she had done wrong.

Mechanically, Hermione stirred together the ingredients. Turning her head to the left, she saw Malfoy mouthing rude words to her, smiling wickedly. Hermione couldn't help but draw the spoon from her pocket and show it to the Slytherin. Draco shut his mouth quickly and looked back to his cauldron. By the time Hermione did the same, it was too late.

Distractions and potions did not mix well. Neville was living proof of that. Hermione's ability to concentrate was half the reason she was so successful in potions. Yet with Seamus' behaviour today, his absence, and Malfoy, she was less on top of things than she thought. The worst part was that went the green smog filled the room, the professor called out angrily to Neville—then the smoke cleared.

Professor Snape's mouth was actually hanging open when he saw the true source of the explosion. Unfortunately for the head girl however, he recovered quickly. His words were somewhat unexpected.

"Everybody out!" He ordered and no one even thought of questioning him. The whole class started to pack up their books, wiping the green slime off first. The room was covered in the grotesque goo. No one was spared. Harry and Ron seemed the most surprised out of anyone, but followed the group of students as they filed out of the classroom.

"Nice going mudblood." Draco hissed as he walked past her, trying to remove the goo from his hair. Hermione could hear plenty of the exiting students performing cleaning charms on themselves. Once the last student has managed to leave, Hermione had expected the worst lecture she would ever receive coming from Snape. Yet none came.

"Ms.Granger, I will expect you to clean this entire classroom." Snape stated very calmly. Hermione reached for her wand but paused halfway due to the professor's words.

"Wandless, Ms.Granger."

Hermione wanted to cry. Malfoy was being a pain, Seamus was avoiding her and now she had a potion gone wrong to clean up by hand.

"Any cleaning products you might need are in there." Snape pointed to a small closet in the back of the classroom and sat down. Hermion walked over to the back closet and opened the door. Inside there were two things, a tooth brush and a bottle containing what she assumed to be some sort of cleaning potion. Sighing, she got to work.

It is remarkable how slowly progress is made when there is a lot to clean and only a toothbrush to do it with. The professor seemed not to care. He sat at his table ignoring her and correcting work. Once and a while she'd hear him grunt, and would turn her head to him shake his and mark the paper in front of him.

Five minutes before the buzzer for lunch sounded, she was finished. Her knees hurt badly from kneeling for so long, and her robe was soaked through. Standing up, she walked to her professor's desk and waited for him to notice her.

"I'm finished professor." She said once he looked up from the paper he was marking. She noticed there were no markings of correction on the pages and was surprised.

"Very well then, go to the great hall for your meal and I will see you tomorrow after your final class." Snape returned to the paper.

"I'm sorry sir, but why?" She asked nervously, hoping it was because he was going to be at the dance and banquet.

"For detention, Ms.Granger." He raised a single eyebrow at her. "Surely you didn't think you would be leaving without a detention." He was now smirking.

"No…no sir." She whispered to the floor. Knowing that she was dismissed, she began to turn around to collect her things.

"You might as well take this with you." He added as he quickly scribbled her mark in his impeccably neat cursive at the top. Hermion received it with a 'thank you professor' and stuffed it in her bag.

Walking to the door, Hermione decided that her day could have been worse. For some reason, Snape had forgotten to take away house points.

"Oh, Ms.Granger?"

Hermione turned around again, standing in the doorway.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor."

Author's Note:

Well, there you have it, chapter one of many more to come. I promise that I will continuously update, and not abandon this story – and I pretty much have it all plotted out entirely. As for any disclaimers that should be at the beginning of this fanfic, I think we all know that I do not own any of these characters. Excuse the "0o0o0o0" but wouldn't let me do anything else, and I am flippin' mad about it. I would also like to make a few thanks :

Dinedhel: A very awesome fellow HP ficcer ( dark star rising and clockwork – I suggest reading it.) who typed up most of this after I wrote it on paper because I was lazy. It's sad I know, but true.

Hyparly4suger: Another very awesome fellow HP ficcer (holes in the floor – I suggest you read them.) who made my fictionally account for me because I am hopeless with the site and again, I am lazy.

NariDragonGirl: ANOTHER very awesome fellow HP ficcer (story not yet posted) who encouraged me to write.

Cass: Finally, a thank-you to someone who is not a fellow ficcer. Just someone who kept on me and supported me, thanks.

Also, a thank you to all those who beta read my fic before I posted.

Please read and review – I would VERY much appreciate it.


	2. The Pants

Chapter Two – The Pants

"Harry," Hermione sighed, turning her head from the book in front of her. "Get out of my pants."

Ron sniggered from across the room and Harry stopped sifting through the leather pants bag in front of him.

"But I need ink," he complained, turning back to the bag and going through it once again.

"Well you should've asked first," she chided, walking over to Harry to retrieve the ink from her bag.

"Yeah," Ron piped up from the far end of the room where he and Dean were playing chess, "You should know better than to go through a girl's pants before asking."

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered something about him being immature.

"Here," she said, handing Harry the bottle of ink. Harry smiled.

"Thanks, Hermione," he said gratefully.

"What do you need if for anyway?" she asked curiously.

"My transfiguration essay."

"But that's due second thing!" she groaned. Harry shrugged his shoulders and got to work.

"Is that the one about changing colours?" Ron asked as he moved his pawn.

Harry Nodded.

Ron smiled excitedly.

"Watch this!" Ron took his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at the ink bottle Harry was borrowing."

"I can't write my transfiguration essay in orange ink, Ron!" Harry whined.

"You did it, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly. The last couple of weeks they had all been working on the project of colour changing. As easy as it seemed to Hermione, most of the seventh years needed practice for what they were doing and many still didn't quite do it properly. Ron had been struggling in that area for quite some time and Hermione had tried to help him but he just didn't seem to be able to grasp it. Ron would point his wand at the item of choice, say the words and would watch it turn every colour of the rainbow simultaneously except for the desired colour. The fact that he had mastered it on his own and actually spent his free time to do this perfectly impressed Hermione greatly.

"You should see our room," Harry said, glaring at Ron. "I have an orange, green and white bed spread now."

Ron shrugged. "It matches the orange curtains, green dresser and white walls."

"I wonder," Dean mused to himself, "If that would be considered vandalism."

"Nah," answered Ron, "The room has more…Personality now!"

"Colour can add personality to anything," Dean quipped, reciting the same words that Professor McGonagall used at the beginning of the study on changing colours.

"It does not," Harry disagreed, going through Hermione's bag once again to find more black ink.

"I'll prove it," Ron said defiantly and pointed his wand, this time in Harry's direction.

"Well?" Harry said impatiently. Hermione was trying so hard not to laugh that she was coughing.

"Definitely adds something," Dean commented, looking at Harry.

"What do you mean?" Harry was suddenly very wary.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Ron asked a spluttering Hermione, while trying to keep in the laughter himself. Hermione managed to nod her head.

"What did you do to me?!" Harry asked, his voice two octaves above normal, looking at his hands to make sure they weren't orange like the ink. Ron just smiled.

Harry ran to the bathroom.

Hermione had managed to stop laughing and the three sat there in silence for a few seconds anticipating Harry's reaction.

"RONALD WEASLEY!"

"Gotta jet!" Ron laughed, dashing out of the common room and down the hall. Harry was two seconds behind him, a blur of black robes and blonde hair.

"There goes a whole bunch of personality," Hermione giggled to Dean who still sat at the chess board. Dean pointed to the clock which hung over the fireplace.

"Can't miss breakfast, it's the most important meal of the day you know."

"So I'm told," Hermione stood up at the same time Dean did and they both walked out into the hall. They walked in a fairly awkward silence at first, but then Dean spoke up.

"So did Snape really lay it on ya yesterday after the potions mishap?"

"Not really. Just took away house points and made me clean up the mess," she thought before continuing. "Wandless though, so I guess he figured that that was punishment enough."

"He didn't give you detention?" Dean asked incredulously.

"No," Hermione knew that was a lie, but she didn't want anyone to know about her detention with Snape. There were enough rumors about her and filch, she didn't want any with Snape too. The thought of either of them made her shudder. Besides, it wasn't like she was just not including Dean. She hadn't told Harry or Ron either - and even if she wanted to; she hadn't seen Seamus long enough yet to tell him. And she wouldn't. She trusted all four boys to keep 'a secret', but there were other ways for that to leak out and it was the last thing she needed at the moment.

"Maybe he was having a good day," Dean joked, pulling Hermione away from her thoughts.

"Huh?...oh…ya," Hermione shook her head, trying to get her thoughts in order. She didn't want to think about tonight, or Seamus.

Dean's laughter caused her to look down the hallway and see Ron running towards them, followed by a very angry, very blonde Harry.

"Sorry I can't stay guys, I'll see you at breakfast," he called over his shoulder as he ran right past them. He then turned left down a connecting hallway and disappeared. Harry was not so lucky, just when he was about to run past his two Gryffindor friends, Professor McGonagall came from a detouring corridor.

"Mr. Malfoy, if you could please refrain from running."

Harry turned around to address the professor, showing his face and Gryffindor colours.

"Oh! I apologize, Mr. Potter," Minerva quickly corrected. Embarrassed, she walked off, mumbling something to herself about needing glasses.

Harry stood there with his mouth open. Hermione and Dean stood behind him laughing together.

0o0o0o0

Everyone was finally at breakfast except for Seamus. Harry had pulled his robes over his head to cover his hair and Ron swore he did not know how to reverse it. Harry had pleaded with Hermione to change it back many times, but she wouldn't until he finished his essay for transfigurations. He was frantically trying to finish before potions, as he ate his blueberry waffle.

Hermione sat and stared at the empty seat beside her. Some where in the back of her mind, Hermione thought that this was Seamus' way of breaking up with her, and it hurt her badly. Why would he do it this way? She thought hard about what she could have done wrong. Only one thing came to mind.

The pants.

Maybe he was offended that she would use a gift he gave her for a school bag. She never knew Seamus to over react about anything like that, but maybe the pants meant more to him than she thought. Hermione resolved to discuss it with him; she wanted to work things out more than anything.

"Do either of you know where Seamus is?" Hermione asked her two friends who sat across from her. Harry and Ron glanced at each other and shook their heads at the same time. Hermione wasn't stupid – they knew something.

0o0o0o0

Halfway down the hall on their way to class, Hermione stopped Harry and pulled him over to a nook in the wall. Ron saw this and waited where he was, leaning against the wall patiently.

"What's wrong with Seamus, Harry?" Hermione interrogated, half pinning him against the wall by his shoulders.

"Nothing's wrong with him," Harry swallowed.

"Then where is he?"

There was a silence, followed with the tapping of Hermione's foot. After a lengthy wait, she knew that Harry had no plan in answering.

"Really, Harry, I thought we were friends," The head girl turned away, walking back into the hallway.

"He's practicing Quidditch!" Harry called out to the retreating Hermione. She had heard him, but didn't reply because up ahead she saw Ron speaking with Seamus in hushed tones.

"Seamus!" Hermione called to him, her stomach in knots. Seamus turned his head and immediately resembled a deer in the head lights. She could see his eyes search for a safe escape.

"Seamus, can I talk to you?" Hermione asked, eyeing Ron and sending signals for him to go away. Being the average guy, he didn't read the signals very well.

"Not right now, Herm, I'm sorry."

Seamus moved to walk past her.

"Why not?!" Hermione demanded, feeling entirely rejected. Now Harry was behind her, trying to signal to his fellow Gryffindor.

"Because…" Seamus looked at Harry for ideas. He had never been good at lying, and it was obvious Harry had never been good at charades. With the hand actions that Harry was waving behind an oblivious Hermione it sure seemed as if he had something to tell him.

Seamus squinted at Harry, trying to understand. It looked as if the boy was trying to ride a broom that had gone possessed.

Harry wasn't helping at all.

"Because, I have to go to Hogsmead," he replied dumbly. He could see Harry put his head in his hands.

"Hogsmead?" she asked, giving him a doubting look.

"Uh huh…. Professor…..Flitwick!...uh…He needs me to get some stuff….for him."

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Mustn't keep him waiting!" Seamus informed the receding figure of his girlfriend as he ran down the hallway.

Now Hermione was mad. She hated being lied to, and if Seamus was going to break up with her, he should have just told her the truth. Maybe she shouldn't try and get out early from to detention to make it to the dance. Without Seamus there, everyone would just ask her questions – prying into her life for answers she didn't quite know herself. Going would just make everything worse.

"Uh, Hermione?"

Hermione turned to Harry giving him a glare. "Practicing Quidditch, Harry?"

"Look – Hermione…"

"You're both liars!" Hermione spat, running down the hallway on the opposite direction Seamus had went.

She ran until her legs hurt, past the talking pictures, past the classrooms including the one she was due to be at in five minutes. She ran through the castle doors and realized that she had no where to go. She needed someone to talk to, but her three best friends, the people she felt she could talk to at any time about anything had betrayed her. Glancing around, Hermione realized where she was - two feet away stood Hagrid's home. She could hear him humming to himself in the back and figured she might as well go say hello. She may have been in a foul mood, but Hagrid seemed to always cheer her up…or distract her in the least.

Walking around the house, Hermione saw Hagrid hunched over what looked like a baby vulture – except the colour was all wrong. She called to Hagrid twice, but he did not hear her due to the fact that his total attention was focused on the creature. It was only when she tapped him on his back that he turned around, rather startled.

"Oh, ye frightened me!" he frowned, looking at the seventh year in front of him. "What's wrong?" he asked after some thought.

"What do you have there?" Hermione asked in return, keeping the subject away from the problem before her.

"It's called an Augurey," Hargrid smiled, quite comfortable talking about his forte in life. Hermione had always suspected that creatures were what kept Hagrid ticking.

"I've heard of those before, but never seen one. They're native to Ireland, and eat insects and faeries. They're feathers also repel ink."

The Augurey started to cry out, lifting its head to the sky and screeching loudly. Hermione had to cup her hands over her ears to muffle the sound and yet somehow Hagrid didn't seem bothered at all. The cry did not last long, but the ringing in the head girls ears did not stop for a long time after.

"Doesn't that mean that it's going to rain soon?" Hermione asked, looking into the sky for even a trace of a cloud.

"Usually," Hagrid replied, smiling at the bird, "But she's still a little shaken from his injury and seems to call out every ten minutes no matter what the forecast calls for. She should be back to normal in a day or so. That wing is going to take a bit more time than that though."

Hermione nodded to her friend and studied the bird. Its greenish colour would make it seem depressing to most, but that was probably since it wasn't often seen unless it was raining outside. Out here, in Hagrid's back yard when the sun was shining brightly and reflecting its rays off of the bird's slick feathers, it looked beautiful. At this moment, there was no wonder about why Hagrid cared for the creatures so much. His adoration for the bird showed in everything he did for it, including the small make shift nest he had made for it right beside the wall in his back yard.

"Where'd you get it Hagrid?" she inquired. Usually she would have been skeptical about his means for acquiring the Augurey but knew that the bird was hurt and Hagrid was trying to help. There was a slight crook his wing, and it looked awkward compared to the other wing which stretched and fidgeted freely.

"I found her in the forest."

"What's her name?"

"Keernit," he replied, taking a white roll of bandages from his pocket and wrapping them around the broken wing. Surprisingly the bird did not resist the half-giant and just stayed there, letting him minister to the wing. Knowing that Hagrid was off in another place now, where only the creature and he existed, Hermione walked off silently, wishing that she didn't have to go to class.

0o0o0o0

Hermione walked into class, books in her arms, and eyes downcast to the floor. She did not want to even look at Harry or Ron and she could feel their eyes on her. Deciding against sitting in her usual spot in front of Harry and beside the non-existent Seamus, the Gryffindor girl quickly turned and started to make her way towards the front of the class room.

The potions professor wasn't anticipating this move.

It was like a fountain of books that all flew into the air when the two crashed into each other. Hermione almost went up with them and ended up falling on her side, some of the books with her. Somehow the potions master did not even seem disturbed physically by the collision and stood straight, looking down at the girl with displeasure.

"Considering all of your other faults, I would not make being clumsy another habit." The professor informed coolly, stepping over her and the books that crashed down all around her to open the potions closet where he plucked out a vial containing what could only be assumed to be an ingredient of that day's potion. Hermione scrambled to her feet and started picking up her books, tears threatening her eyes once more.

"Today we will be making Wit-Sharpening Potion." Snape announced, putting down the vial he held on the top of his desk. Hermione sat down at the front, letting her hair make a veil over her face, and pretended to read the potions book in front of her.

Some would call it irony, but Hermione knew better. It was not irony that the first and only time she did not raise her hand in class, Snape called on her for the answer.

"Miss Granger?" he asked, tilting his head and smirking.

"Wha- What was the question?" Hermione stuttered, turning red.

Snape raised his eyebrows, but asked the question again. "What is the main ingredient in the Wit-Sharpening Potion?"

"Armadillo bile," she answered. Snape nodded, looking almost disappointed that she got the correct answer. The professor turned around and started to write the ingredients for the potion on the board.

"Today," The professor addressed the class, his back still to them. "You must work in partners." Everyone already knew who they were working with, except for Hermione who didn't dare look around. "And no exceptions," he added as he finished writing the last component for the potion and turned around. Everyone sat in pairs, except the girl at the front who stared at the desk in front of her. It was then that the potions teacher noticed there was no Mr. Finnegan in his class that day.

"So the young Mr. Finnegan has finally blessed me with his absence has he?" he asked the lone Gryffindor, who didn't look up to meet his eyes.

All it took was the one mention of the boy and Hermione started to cry. Not loud wails mind you, but crying none the less. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she didn't dare to look up to respond to the nasty git.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor for failure to respond, Miss Granger," he said darkly, waiting for her to look up and say something. She didn't move. "If you could manage to get up and partner with someone, the class could start," he sneered, hoping to get some reaction. Most of his students were frightened of him; they cowered in his presence and didn't dare to do anything that would make him mad. Some how he didn't have that affect on the Granger girl, and it made her a challenge.

He watched as she brought her hands to her face and started to rub her eyes behind the sheet of frizzy hair. He could hear her sniffling and when she looked up at him finally, her eyes were red and puffy, and he could tell that she had tried to cover her inner turmoil by jutting out her chin defiantly.

"I don't have one, Professor."

"Well I suggest you get one," he responded, looking at the Gryffindor pair at the back, the one with the red hair and the other with the…blonde? That threw the potions master off a bit and he stood there staring at the boy with the lightning scar on his forehead. He didn't know what in the world would posses the boy to dye his hair blonde, but the colour did not suit him at all. His complexion just did not compliment it.

"Are you so unintelligent that you can not even find a potions partner, Miss Granger?"

Hermione didn't say anything, and retreated back into the depths of her hair.

"Very well then, you can work with Crabbe and Goyle."

Both boys proved almost just as incompetent with potions as Neville

What was more surprising however was that either boy actually knew how to read. Their total disregard to follow the directions or read labels could have fooled anyone. Hermione watched them both like a hawk and managed to grab any bottle from their hands before it was dumped into the cauldron. Thankfully their potion was bubbling purple just like everyone else's.

Snape walked down the room, eyeing each potion carefully.

"Considering that this potion affects the mind – I do suggest you all brew it correctly. I don't want anyone leaving, thinking that they're a chicken," he smirked to himself, rather pleased as he gave Neville a look and cause the boy tremendous doubt.

Hermione knew he was lying of course, saying things only to make his students quiver. If anyone had done their studies like they were supposed to they would know a wit-sharpening potion brewed wrong was just a dud. Unless of course they put horse radish instead of armadillo bile into the potion.

"So what's next?" Goyle asked looking at the Slytherin beside him. Crabbe shrugged and passed Goyle the nearest bottle without a word. Hermione removed the container of horse radish from the pudgy fingers and replaced it with the vial of armadillo bile. She was adapting to the two fast – her experience with Neville had prepared her for this two's incompetence.

"Hermione!"

Hermione knew it was Harry who was quietly calling to her. She refused to turn her head.

"Hermione!" The harsh whisper came again.

Sadly, she never thought she would be ignoring Harry to concentrate on Crabbe and Goyle. Knotting her fingers she watched the potion boil, as her two potion partners examined the other bottles. Goyle held up one bottle to his eye and peered through. The clear orange liquid let him see through to the other side of the room.

"I see orange people," he snorted, and Crabbe insisted that he let him try. While the second boy looked through the ingredient, the first flicked the flask of newt's eyes. Snape stood up at the front of the class demanding complete attention from the students. Crabbe and Goyle seemed a bit too distracted however.

"Now it is time to test the potion," he announced, scanning the room with a skeptical eye. His eye fell on Hermione.

"There is enough potion for the two people in each group to both try."

Hermione looked at the ignoramuses beside her.

"Oh! It's squishy!" Crabbe whispered to Goyle, swirling his finger in the jar of newt's eyes. Somehow, she thought that the two needed the wit sharpening potion more than her.

"But sir," Lavander raised her hand, getting the professor's attention, "how will we know if it worked?"

"I think your five scroll essays will prove the potion's effects well enough," he sneered, and almost smiled at all of the student's groans. Neville eyed his cup of potion warily, remembering the potions mater's words of "caution". Dean's help in potions indeed helped a lot with the results, but it did not help quell his fears.

"Drink up Longbottom," Draco prompted the nervous Gryffindor from across the room. "I always wondered what you'd be like as a chicken."

"Don't listen to him," Dean said, glaring at the Malfoy boy.

Neville gulped and tipped his glass. Nothing seemed to happen. He didn't feel any different. Dean did the same, and again felt nothing.

"I don't feel any different," Ron admitted from the back of the room, obviously disappointed.

"Who was the first person in history to try this potion?" Snape asked as he erased the board.

"Willham Liundt," Ron responded automatically. Realizing what he just said, he smiled and looked to Harry. Harry seemed confused.

"How come I didn't know the answer?" Harry asked out loud, not particularly to anyone specific. Snape turned around and faced the class.

"Obviously Mr.Weasley did the reading," Snape sneered. "This is a wit sharpening potion, Mr.Potter, not a spree of free knowledge. This potion can not help you with anything you haven't already learned."

"So it's more of a remembering charm?" Padma asked.

"Yes, Miss Patil," Snape then turned around again to his desk, sorting through the things. One of the Slytherin students bent over to another and whispered how much help the potion would be during the NEWTS.

"There would be no point," Snape cut in on their private conversation. "Any charms, potions or magic of any kind is neutralized during the NEWTS, except that of which must be performed during them. I am surprised you didn't know that by now."

The Slytherins were quiet.

"Ask me something!" Goyle said to Crabbe, a stupid smile on his face.

"What do we have next?" Crabbe asked, evidently excited.

"Uh… Divination!" Goyle exclaimed.

"Wow! You didn't even have to look at the time table!" Crabbe cried, letting out an incredulous snort. "It really worked!"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

0o0o0o0

Finally they were all excused from potions and everyone headed to their next classes. Harry followed Hermione out and walked by her side, trying to get her to talk to him.

"Hermione!"

Silence.

"Hemione!"

More silence.

"Heeeerrrrmmmmmmiiiiiooooonnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"WHAT!?" she yelled, stopping and turning to the boy beside her.

"Can you please turn my hair back?" he asked, almost annoyed.

Hermione's eye twitched.

Ron backed away.

Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Shuffling his feet, he looked at the ground. "Listen Hermione, I wanted to talk to you about before too, but first –"

He would have finished his sentence but Hermione had stormed off.

"Dude…" Ron came up beside Harry, watching Hermione's shrinking form. "I don't know much about women… but even I know that that was the wrong thing to say."

Harry sighed. "You sure you don't know how to turn my hair back?"

0o0o0o0

Hermione stormed down the hallway once again – she hoped that the-boy-who-lived would never be able to get rid of that horrible blonde mass.

0o0o0o0

"I am sorry, Mr.Potter. There is nothing I can do. Mr.Weasley should have never tried such a transfiguration on a human and I'm afraid I won't either. You'll just have to wait it out."

"But Professor McGonagall!"

0o0o0o0

Never in her life had she been more mad at those two boys. Sure Ron hadn't openly lied to her, but he hadn't given her the truth either! She didn't know what had changed that gave Harry the idea that lying to her was okay. And Seamus – she couldn't even _think _about him. There was only one thing to do, if he didn't have the guts to do it, she would.

She would break up with him.

If he didn't show up to any classes, she would track him down - going to detention late if she had to. Then she would go to that dance after the detention – single and happy. She had made up her mind. There was no way she would let her soon-to-be-ex's behavior affect her. It's probably what he wanted.

"_Not everyone is as black and white as your Mr. Finnegan." _

She had finally reached her rooms where she would quickly pick up her transfiguration books and head to class. But there was one problem.

Her door was locked.

Who would have locked her door? She definitely hadn't. Retrieving her wand from her pocket, she tried to unlock the door. It didn't work. There must have been charms on the door, so she tried to deactivate the wards. It didn't work. She didn't know what to do, so she did the one other thing she knew how. She pounded on the door and demanded that whoever was in her room let her in.

"Problem, mudblood?" came a snarky voice from behind her.

Hermione turned sharply, facing the blonde Slytherin. Immediately she expected him to be the cause of her problem.

"Take the wards off, Malfoy," she demanded, fists clenched along with her teeth.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied in a detached tone, scanning the hallway.

"I said: open the door," she repeated, taking a step forward. Draco smirked in return and leaned against the wall.

"Now why would I want to prevent you from going inside?" he cocked his head to the side.

"Let…me….in!" she screamed at him, overly frustrated about what an idiot he was… overly frustrated about life.

Malfoy shook his head and laughed.

"Okay, Malfoy," she spoke calmly now, reaching into her pants bag. A glint of metal caught her eye and she grabbed onto it, pulling it out of the bag and drawing it into the air savagely. But by the time she looked up at him, he was gone. She hadn't even heard him go, and considering how long and open the hallway was, it was pretty impossible how he could just disappear like that.

She wished she could just disappear.

0o0o0o0

Classes were humiliating. Because she couldn't collect her books from her room she went to each class unprepared, and sadly every teacher asked her to read aloud from the text. Each time her cheeks went red as she leaned over to the person beside her and read off of their book. No teacher knew what to think of it, Hermione had never been to a class unprepared before. They let it slide, trying not to show their concern, every student forgot once and a while… the fact that Hermione Granger was the one forgetting just caused more concern than anyone else.

Despite the horror of humiliation that became every class that day, the morning went by fairly fast. Lunch and afternoon classes followed. Soon enough she was dismissed from her last class, as with the rest of the students.

She hadn't seen Seamus at all that afternoon, and she half expected he was out for the day. Absentmindedly she walked to her head girl's room, thinking about any and everyplace that Seamus could be found. It was this distraction that caused her to miss her wand being extracted from her pocket, only initially however.

"I will kill you, Malfoy," she breathed through her teeth as she turned around to confront the boy. She was almost started into a smile when she turned around and saw Harry standing there. Almost.

"What do you want?" she spat.

"I want you to talk with me."

"Give me back my wand, Harry," she ordered.

"Not until you'll talk to me," he tried to negotiate. Hermione rolled her eyes and quickly lunged for the wand, currently in Harry's possession.

"Ron!" Harry called as he threw the wand down the hall to a red head who caught it skillfully.

"Ron…" Hermione started walking to her friend, who threw the wand to Harry once she was far past halfway between them. Hermione growled. There was no way she could get her wand back this way. But what did she need it for right then anyway? Detentions had to be served without the assistance of a wand. The two couldn't play the game forever. Eventually, more likely tonight, they would hand the wand back over and it wouldn't really matter anyway.

At that, Hermione walked away from the two.

"I don't think that was a long enough distraction…" Ron whispered to Harry who was now beside him, as they watched the frizzy haired Gryffindor walk away.

0o0o0o0

Reaching her door, Hermione knew the dilemma that she was presented with. For ten minutes she pounded on her door. Looking around the hallway she tried to think of things she could throw to break the door open. There was nothing big enough.

Suddenly it hit her. There were two entrances to her room, and if Malfoy was the one who charmed the door, then he wouldn't have been able to charm the one connected to the Gryffindor common room. Maybe she should have used the wit sharpening potion…

When Hermione entered the common room, most of the students looked to each other for a reason why the head girl looked so ticked off. They could find no reason however and just watched as she stormed up the common room stairs.

The door at the top of the stairs wouldn't open either. This was the last straw for Hermione, and backing up she readied herself to bang the door down. She didn't have to though, because the door opened. Seamus' head poked out of the door, looking left and right for the "all clear". When he looked straight, he saw her. He obviously wasn't expecting her outside the door.

"Seamus Finnegan!" Hermione was furious as she pushed through the door and entered her room, ready to shut the door on his face. The room looked much different from how she had left it that morning.

0o0o0o0

"Well…" said Harry, "I know in about ten minutes she won't hate me anymore – but I think she REALLY hates me right about now."

Ron shrugged. "You said it yourself. She won't hate you in ten minutes."

"Let's make it fifteen," Harry corrected, thinking to himself.

"Why fifteen?" Ron asked quizzically.

"A lot can happen in 15 minutes," Harry replied. "And it just might take a lot for her to stop hating me."

A/N: Well there you have it everyone, chapter two! I'm sorry for the long wait but I'm proud to say that I now have future chapters already written and I will be posting regularly. I'm sorry if you thought I abandoned the story (even though I pretty much did for two years!) but I'm back and I promise it wont be abandoned again :D


	3. The Detention

Lying to Myself

Chapter Three – The Detention

Hermione stood there, looking around at her room, obviously stunned. Her desk where she kept all her papers, books and notes had been turned into a romantic table lit dinner for two. Complete with a red table cloth and the two padded chairs that originally came from the common room. Her red and gold coloured room had become red, pink and white. Balloons flooded the ceiling, their strings trickling down to tickle the tops of their head. The new dress Seamus had bought her was out of its box and lying on her bedspread, the skirts overflowing to where the hem touched her wooden floor. Her pillows were transfigured to the shape of hearts and a beautiful taffeta surrounded her bed posts.

Suddenly it clicked. Why Seamus was gone all day, why Harry had to lie to her, why no one would just tell her the truth. She swung around and pounced on Seamus, hugging him tightly.

"I thought we could skip the dinner portion of tonight and have it here. I took the liberty of bribing the house elves to let me share the use of their kitchen today, I made everything myself," Seamus beamed at Hermione, holding her at arms length to judge her reaction. Hermione's goofy grin was the reply he needed. Swinging her around, Seamus brought her to the table and pulled out a chair. Hermione almost sat down until she realized just what time it was.

"Seamus, I can't," Hermione sighed regrettably, taking a step back from the chair she wanted to sit in so badly.

"Well, I guess you could get changed into the dress now, if you like, I'll wait. I would wait forever for you Hermione."

Now, what may seem like a corny line to a bystander translates to a very deep heartfelt line to its recipient. Hermione wanted to tell him that she would be right back with the dress on, ready to eat such a wonderful meal that he had prepared, but she couldn't.

"No, I'm sorry Seamus but I can't. I have to go. I'll tell you about it later."

It had been a long day, and Hermione was tired of everything. She was already late for her detention and she really didn't have the time to explain everything to him. She loved the room, but still it didn't satisfy all the frustration of a long day, and the frustration of having to leave it to go to detention. If she started explaining about it now, she would definitely end up in tears. All she wanted was to stay here and forget about the professor and his egotistical power trip. She just wanted to get it over with. If she was late, who knows what her next punishment might be. Hermione moved to walk by Seamus giving him a look of sadness but the look he returned was not what she expected.

"Excuse me? I spent the whole day – skipping classes – to do this for you all you can say is 'I have to go'? You don't even have the decency to tell me what's going on?!" Seamus looked miles beyond angry, which only served to make Hermione even more irritated. She wasn't even given the full fifteen minutes to be totally rid of her previous bout of anger.

"Even if I did want to tell you, I don't anymore!"

She realized that if she were to explain everything to him, about the detention and how she would still be at the dance everything would clear up. Something inside her kept her from doing that though. Seamus' anger frustrated her to a point where she didn't care what he thought. She just wanted to get away.

"I've been _slaving _away in here and the kitchen all day trying to make sure tonight would be the best night of your life!" Seamus shot back, his fists in balls and his nose flaring.

"Even if I didn't have to go right now, you shouldn't flatter yourself in thinking that a dinner for two and a dance is going to qualify as being the best night of my life!" Hermione was getting really angry now; just looking at Seamus made her mad.

"Well why don't you just go with someone else?!" Seamus yelled.

"I'm not going with anyone! And especially not you!" Hermione shot back.

"Well if you change your mind, there's always Filch!"

Hermione was silent.

Hermione closed the space between Seamus and herself and lifted herself up until she was standing on her toes, until her face was right up in his.

"Well, he would be better company than you." Hermione spat. The only other person Seamus had seen Hermione get so angry at was Malfoy, and it scared him that she used it on him now. She was glaring at him, her nostrils flared and her mouth in an eerie set line. He was so focused on her face that he didn't even notice her hand fly up until it made harsh contact with the side of his face.

Hermione didn't stay to hear what Seamus had to say, she didn't care. Turning on her heel she walked towards the door, without looking back. As soon as she slammed the door emotion flooded her and she ran through the common room in tears, flying open the door and racing past the fat lady, leaving her portrait swinging against the wall.

Seamus slowly opened the door and peered out to see people in the common room still whispering about Hermione. Before they could see him, he thought better of walking out retreated back into the room, not wanting to be mixed up in the rumors.

0o0o0o0

Hermione stormed through the hallway, passing student after student yet not caring about a single one. Professor McGonagall tried to say something but it came out a blur as Hermione passed her, not even considering stopping. Her bag strap kept creeping down her shoulder and clumsily she kept pulling it up, yanking away at it, as if it was Seamus' neck. The only thing that stopped her was the sight of the potions room. The door stood open not 10 feet from her. Hermione cringed as she took another step forward. Then another one. And another one. The last thing in the world she wanted right now was to go into that class room. She hoped she did not look like she had been crying. Hermione trudged to the door to see the potions master standing just around the door's frame.

"I'm not that bad, am I, Miss Granger?" Snape laughed. Not a throaty good natured laugh, but the laugh that Hermione expected to come out of the wicked witch in that Wizard of Oz movie her parents made her watch as a child. Grudgingly Hermione followed her professor into the room and to his desk where she expected him to sit down, but he didn't. Instead he grabbed his coat and started making his way to the door again. When Hermione didn't follow, he turned around and looked at her expectantly.

"Coming, Miss Granger?" he asked, obviously annoyed at her slow pace.

"Where are we going, sir?" Hermione asked, terrified that he was going to off her on Filch again.

"To the Forbidden Forest. I need more potions ingredients and you need something to do, so hurry up."

Hermione followed the professor through the halls, to the outside of the castle. People turned to stare as they watched her walk behind him; some of the students gave her a pitiful glance whereas the Slytherins (including Malfoy) gave a knowing smirk.

Once they got to the forest, Severus Snape turned around, as if to make sure Hermione was still there. Once he saw her, he started again, plunging into the forest, not bothering to look anywhere but ahead. Hermione struggled to keep up with the professor's strides, and had to squint to really see him; the black of his attire blending in too well with the forest's surroundings. When he finally did stop, abruptly at that, Hermione walked right into him.

Snape turned around and looked down at the forest floor to see a very shocked Hermione.

"In the future I would advise you to be less clumsy, Miss Granger. It will do you wonders."

Hermione glared at him through the dark, wishing some voodoo curse on him.

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape added. Hermione wasn't sure if it was for bumping into him, or if he had actually saw her glare.

Standing, Hermione brushed off the forest floor from her robes and picked up her pants bag. She had forgotten to leave it in the class room, and the weight of it was beginning to remind her of what a mistake that was.

Finally they reached their destination and Snape turned around to give Hermione orders.

"You will find nightshade root in this area. I should hope you know what that looks like. And if while you're busying yourself with that you should find a unicorn's hair lying on the ground, be sure to pick it up and collect that as well."

Snape then turned and started on his own hunt, away from her leaving Hermione to follow orders and search the area. Hermione didn't enjoy detention but was thankful for the chance to be alone. The only thing was that it gave her the opportunity to start thinking about Seamus and all that had happened that day. Anger swelled in her and she tore at the nightshade leaves too roughly, pulling them off the plant and leaving the root in the ground, inaccessible. This only served to frustrate her more and she begun to tear, using the sleeve of her robe to wipe at her eyes.

Her distraction left her totally oblivious to the hippogriff coming her way.

Snape however, heard and saw its course. The last thing he wanted was the hippogriff to go up to the girl and her to get distracted. He didn't want to be in the forest forever, he wanted to get back to the school in time for the dance. Students would be all over the halls just beckoning for points to be extracted from their house. What better opportunity was there? Moving closer Snape pointed his wand at the creature and uttered a spell which would cause the creature to fly off and mind its own business. His spell did not have the desired effect however and caused the hippogriff to begin charging, towards Hermione. It suddenly occurred to Severus Snape that with the cover of trees the creature could not take off until it reached a clearing, and Hermione was the only thing standing between the hippogriff and his clearing.

Snape tried to call out to Hermione but it seemed as though she had become deaf. Snape jumped up and down hoping that she would at least see him and realize what was happening but she was too focused on the ground.

In the distance Hermione thought she could hear Snape yelling something, but the sound of her own sobs blurred him out. Besides that she had had enough of him and his belittling comments. Instead she pretended to not hear him.

Snape ran as fast as he could, tripping over his cloak and stubbing his toe on an uplifted tree root. Openly he cursed the tree, and the girl he was running toward. He was in a race to see who would get to the girl first, and he was hoping it would be him. Finally he saw Hermione look up, but only to show a confused expression followed by horror.

Hermione looked up to see Snape charging her. His body slanted forward and his arms pumping at his sides as if punching something in front of him. It was the most peculiar sight she had ever seen. It was until she realized he was going to run right into her that she thought to run away from him. The thought came to late though and Snape barreled right into her, causing them to tumble across the forest floor.

The hippogriff whirled by, taking flight in the nearby opening. Hermione did not have a chance to realize this though. Before either of them knew it, their tumbling turned into falling. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. She hated heights, and even more so she hated falling to her death. It crossed her mind that there were no cliffs in the Forbidden Forest, but who was she to argue her logic when she was definitely falling. She could hear Snape's words echoing around her before she lost consciousness.

0o0o0o

Snape tumbled on the forest floor, his eyes were open but all he could see was ground, blackness, Hermione's face, ground again, a hand, blur of feathers, Hermione's face again. The images made him dizzy, so he closed his eyes just in time to feel the ground break beneath him, accompanied by the feeling of falling. All Snape could think to do was to yell at the girl he was still clinging to.

"You stupid girl!" Snape yelled, hearing his own voice echo around him. "One hundred points from Gryffindoooor!!!!" And with that, he lost consciousness.


	4. The Hole

Lying to Myself

Chapter Four – the hole

"Ten points from Gryffindor Miss Granger," came the annoyed voice of Hermione's professor. She could see him cross his arms in distaste at his surroundings, not to mention his company.

The groggy feeling evaporated when she heard his words and her eyes nearly crossed wither anger. "For what?!" she seethed, not bothering to downplay any of her emotions, loosing more points just did not matter to her right now.

"For bringing me into such a predicament," he replied calmly, apparently unaware of the young woman's wrath.

Hermione was seeing red. What did he mean 'for bringing HIM into such a predicament'?! She gave a quick assessment of the dirty pit she was in. Yup, she was definitely there too – same predicament. It wasn't even as if this was her fault either. If he hadn't of barreled into her and sent them both tumbling they wouldn't even be in here. Oh yes, this 'predicament' had "Snape's fault" written all over it.

"I suggest, Miss Granger, that you use you head, and make use of your wand. I have classes to teach in the morning," he sneered, and Hermione blushed, embarrassed by the obvious statement. She knew her wand lay somewhere in the Gryffindor common room, and she silently cursed Harry and Ron for their childish games.

"I uhm, I don't have it," she stammered, and made a silent note to beat up her two immature male comrades once she made it out of this hellhole. A rather literal statement really, what with her being in a hole, along with someone who very well matched the criteria to become the devil, all he needed was the pitchfork and tail.

"Insolent girl, don't you know always to carry your wand with you?!" he spat harshly, before adding, "Another ten points from Gryffindor."

Hermione fought the urge to throw something at him. Today she was making somewhat of a hit list, and she already had three contestants to add to it. Now all she had to do was pick who came first. 'Eenie meenie minie –'

"Well, where is it then?" he questioned, not forgetting to add a little malice into the line.

'mo, catch the Slytherin by the toe…Oh yes,' Hermione thought to herself. 'We can't forget Malfoy.'

Snape's patience was short, and he grunted expectantly when the student did not immediately answer. Hermione continued to play her inane little game, reaching the end of it slowly.

'My mother says to pick the very best one and you…are…it.' Her eyes fell on Snape and she formed a small smile. 'Oh yah, he's going down.' It was only then that she realized that he had not made a move to his own wand.

"And where is your wand professor?" she asked innocently, smiling sweetly.

"Do not avoid my questions, Miss Granger. Another ten points from-"

"You don't have it, do you?" she was astonished. What nerve of the man to reprimand her for something he didn't have either! Her fingers toyed with a small rock on the ground as she shot him a very menacing glare. Despite the darkness that had fallen, Severus Snape could still see her features outlined by the moonlight. Her pointing out this small detail only served to fuel his anger.

"I dropped it, Miss Granger," he sneered, "when I averted you from being trampled by that hippogriff. So don't try to lecture me about something only you would do."

"What hippogriff?" Hermione asked, forgetting about her anger, confusion taking over.

"The one that was charging you, yet you were too inane to even notice it."

'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine….ten.' No, she was still going to murder the man. 'Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…oh to heck with it.' She threw the rock at him, uncaring of the consequences. The rock bounced off the crown of his head and the young Gryffindor had to cough back a laugh. The look on her professor's face made it even better.

"Miss Granger!" he roared. "What do you think – Thirty-five points from Gryffindor!"

Hermione continued to giggle as she nodded her head. Thirty-five may not have been a fair trade in her mind, but it was definitely worth it! Forcing her smile into a straight line, she sobered up her giggly state.

"So how might we get out professor?" she asked, as if nothing had just happened. The professor grumbled in mild response, and shook his head, not the least amused.

"We wait," he stated matter-of-factly, and made sure to cast an after glare in her direction.

'Oy, he's touchy.' She refused to acknowledge the fact that she was stuck here until someone found them. Them…she was stuck in this hole for who knows how long with none other than her potions professor. She let out an audible groan. She needed to get out! What were they to do in here, play chess?! Highly, she doubted that.

"And in the mean time..?" she trailed off, leaving the question open for insightful answers – not that she gave the professor that much credit.

The man shrugged his shoulders. What could they do? Neither had a wand. He heard the young woman shiver and wrap her thin summer cloak around herself. He could care less how cold she felt. His dungeon's temperature was not far varied from what he was experiencing now, and he hardly noticed the chill that the damp walls were emanating. He would have left her to her own devices, to freeze, (he really could care less) but the Headmaster would have something to say about that. Severus nodded to himself. The Headmaster, for that matter, would care.

Hermione did the only thing she knew she could to. Standing, looking up to the mouth of the hole she started to call for help.

Grumbling to himself, Snape got up and walked around the small tavern like hole. Around the corner at the back, everything was less damp, and the walls were made of solid rock. Walking back to the "main room", the professor gathered some of the wood, leaves, twigs and moss that had fallen in with them. He made sure to leave the majority of it for later use.

Hermione's calls didn't seem to help her any, and the echoing of her loud yelling was beginning to hurt her ears. She stopped, resolved that she would scream all day tomorrow if she had to. No one would be walking around in the Forbidden Forest this late anyway.

In the second room, Snape began to position the gathered items, and Hermione got up to peer around the corner to see exactly what he was doing. The only part she could make out was his pale face and hands. The rest of him was already clad in black and camouflaged with the dark nicely. She could see that he cupped something in each of his hand and began to hit them together. She then knew that he had found flint stones somewhere in here. Where; she couldn't fathom. Small sparks flew off the stones and onto the small pile, causing it to ignite, nursing the small, fragile flame.

The dancing orange light illuminated the area around the professor, showing him to be sitting in front of the burning pile cross-legged. Hermione immediately thought of what a strange sight it was, his unblemished face sported smears of dirt, and his hair was tousled and contained several species of plant life. She had never seen the potions master in such a state. The head girl walked up and crouched before the flames heat, spreading her hands before the orange glow. Her instinct to stay warm over took any stubborn feelings towards the man, and soon she found herself warming up quite nicely.

"Thank-you," Hermione whispered sheepishly, consciously not looking over at the man across from her. The professor just scrunched his nose at the word, apparently unaccustomed to such a term. The girl never expected a reply, but gave an annoyed huff when he remained neglectful of her presence.

Darkness had now fallen, and Hermione knew that the hour was well past her usual curfew and she would be expected to be at Hogwarts soon. Removing her school robes, the young woman laid them on the ground in front of the flickering flame, using them as a thin mat to sleep on. A heavy yawn parted her lips, and she realized just how tired she really was.

"Good night, Professor," Hermione yawned, stretching her arms out before lying down on the lumpy ground. Since they were obviously stuck there tonight, she might as well make the best of it. Closing her eyes against the glistening light, Hermione fell asleep almost immediately.

The professor did not fall asleep so fast. He did not want the flame to die out and he knew that if both of them slept and left the small fire to its own devices it would quickly die out. He was used to long nights unable to sleep, so staying up to man the fire did not bother him much. What bothered him was the idea of being stuck in this hole with the young Gryffindor. He wanted out. Now. Yet as much as he willed himself to be back in his quarters, sitting in his small living room reading a book, he was still there. He could hear an owl hooting, and the wind blowing over the hole's opening – like blowing over a bottle cap.

Slowly, Severus' eye lids became heavy and sleep overcame him. It wasn't long after that the flame followed suit and both bodies laid in their respective corners, asleep in the dark.

0o0o0o0

The first thing the young Gryffindor noticed when she woke up that morning was her back. Pain shot through her muscles when she made any move and she let out a low groan when she rolled over to sit up. Realizing the professor laid on the other side of the room against the wall asleep, the girl ceased her noises immediately. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him up. It was bad enough when it was the middle of the day, she did _not _want to find out if he was a morning person.

Light was pouring through the entrance way above, and Hermione had to squint her eyes when she entered the other section of the hole. It was scary how clean the area seemed for a hole. Except for the debris that caved in with the professor and her, the area was just as tidy as what she would expect the Slytherin common room to be. Behind her, Hermione heard some rustling, and she turned around to see the potions master stand up from his position leaning against the wall of the hole.

Not bothering to wish her professor a good morning, Hermione looked back up to the entrance of the pit. A tree lay over the opening, its branches spread wide as to let light in. It covered the hole just enough as to keep any passerby unaware of the hole's entrance, and unaware of them. Up with the tree, hanging on a branch by its strap was Hermione's bag, sticking out like a sore thumb.

The bright pink instantly caught Snape's eye and he cringed at the atrocious… thing. It hung from a wide, metallic pink strap which attached to what almost looked like the belt holes of a pair of pants. A button fastened the top shut and a zipper led way to two pockets. He couldn't quite tell from the distance but he was fairly sure the bag was made from leather. To him, it looked like a pair of pants with the legs missing. He cringed at the sort of fashions girls got themselves into. He couldn't help but notice how ecstatic Miss Granger was to see it.

"My bag!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping up and down as if she could possibly reach it if she jumped high enough. Settling down, Hermione looked around the cavern's floor. She spotted the rock she used last night to hit her professor with and picked it up. Bringing her arm back she threw the rock up at the bag, hoping to give it the push it needed to get off the branch and fall into the hole with her. The rock did not even make it half way. After many futile throws, Hermione collapsed on the floor, mumbling.

"I can't do it," she announced in a huff, throwing the rock at her feet.

"How is a hideous bag of books going to help us get out of here anyway?" Snape barked, looking disdainfully at the hanging bag.

"Well first of all," Hermione began, in a tone she would not dared have used on her professor in the past, "in that bag contains Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and I know that's not a four course meal, but it's something. Not to mention we can use my spare scrolls as fuel for the fire. And I'm sure we can find use for the other things it has in it."

Snape took two steps forward, bent over and picked up the rock that lay at Hermione's feet. Throwing it high into the air, the rock hit the bag which started to swing on its branch. Picking up the rock again the professor threw it back up again, watching it make contact with the bag and fall at his feet once again. The bag swung even more now, and the branch bobbed with its weight. Throwing the stone one more time, Snape watched it make contact once more, the bag started to swing and creep down the bobbing branch. Picking the rock back up, ready to throw it for the last time to get the bag down, Snape looked at Hermione with a cocky smile on his face.

Which probably wasn't a good idea.

The bag didn't need anymore persuasion from the professor to come down, and as his attention was focused on the young frizzy haired Gryffindor, the bag released itself from the branche's hold and fell, right on top of the cocky professor.

Hermione burst out laughing, holding her stomach, unable to control the guffaws that erupted from her throat. Snape, a little dizzy, did not appreciate her loud display and began rummaging through the bag, pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill with a bottle of orange ink.

"Get out of my pants!" Hermione ordered, realizing that he was going through her stuff.

Snape's head shot to his side to look at his student, wide-eyed.

"I am not, and will not ever be 'in your pants', Miss Granger," Snape assured her, still shocked by the accusation. He sat down across from her, leaning his back again the wall and rested the parchment again his legs. Taking up the quill he dipped it in the orange ink.

"I hope you weren't planning on writing papers in this ghastly colour."

Hermione picked up her bag and rested it on her lap, protectively. Looking over at her professor, she watched him write some things down before looking up, tapping his jaw with the feather of her quill and write some more.

"These are my things professor," Hermione stated, "and I would appreciate if you asked permission before taking anything out of here."

Snape looked up at the girl, shook his head and continued to write. His lack of acknowledgement to her wishes angered her, but she was more curious as to what he was doing.

"What are you writing anyway?" she asked.

"Keeping a tally, Miss Granger, of all the points I'm taking away from you. So far I have one hundred for getting me into this mess, thirty five for throwing that rock at me, twenty for you're display of giddiness at me getting your bag down for you and ten for accusing me of going 'in your pants'."

Hermione rolled her eyes

"That will be another ten points," Snape informed as he jotted down more on the paper in front of him.

"I did not get us into this hole professor. And I'm just used to referring to this…bag as my pants, it's just came out wrong."

"Yes, well was it just me or didn't you say you had some sustenance of some sort lying in wait in there."

Hermione went into the back pocket of her…bag and pulled out a large paper bag full of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"Ron gave them to me as a gift from Hogsmead when I missed going last week. I've never really liked them, too risky, but I guess it's all we've got right now." Hermione opened the bag and reached in pulling out a few, each a different colour. Leaning over she tried to toss the bag of beans to Snape but he didn't uncross his arms to catch it. He looked down at it with disdain and curled his lip.

"Atleast if I eat a worm, I know it will taste like a worm. For all I know I will get a worm flavored bean and I was better off just eating that worm sticking out of the dirt over there." Snape used his leg to push the bag aside and looked at the worm.

"That's true," Hermione was surprised to find herself agreeing with the man, then thought better of it. "But at least I have the chance to tasting something good when I eat a bean. A worm has no room for improvement." Popping a bean in her mouth, Hermione hesitantly chewed it. It just so happened to be tree bark flavored.

The head girl knew Snape wasn't going to ask, but was dying to know what flavor she had just popped in her mouth. Deciding that if he wanted to know, he would have to ask, Hermione ate another one, pretending like the snot flavored bean tasted more like a pear. The third one she didn't have to pretend for though, it was chocolate coffee bean flavored – her favorite.

Snape looked at her expectantly but Hermione played dumb, asking him what it was he wanted.

"Well…?" he asked, trailing off, leaving her to respond.

"Well what?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Well what flavor?" Snape huffed, jotting down some numerals on his paper. Hermione sighed, wondering how many points he was taking away from her house.

"The one I just ate was chocolate covered coffee bean," Hermione told him, looking at the paper, hoping he'd scribble off the points he had just taken away.

Severus raised a brow and picked up the bag.

"What did that one look like?" he asked, running his fingers through the beans trying to find that particular flavor.

"Don't just put your hand in there and touch them all!" Hermione exclaimed, coming over and grabbing the bag. "You're getting all your germs on them." Hermione opened up the bag and tilted it this way and that until she spotted what looked like the third bean she ate. Using her index finger and thumb she picked up the bean and handed it to Severus before going and sitting back down again.

Snape put the bean in his mouth and started to chew. Not a second later Snape spat the bean out to the side and made a very disgusted face. Looking at Hermione he glared and dipped his quill into the orange ink. Twenty points he muttered as he wrote it down on the parchment. Hermione giggled at the look of disgust on her professor's face. And couldn't help but ask:

"What flavor was it?"

"Worm."

All Hermione could do was laugh.

0o0o0o0

In the first parts of the morning Hermione had tried screaming at the top of her lungs, sadly it wasn't much help. After a while she resolved to call for help every ten minutes, but that didn't seem to help either. After a while she gave up. She was starting to lose her voice and even the birds perched on the tree above her didn't seem to notice.

Other than her intervals of screaming to whoever might be in the forest, the day passed by slowly. Hermione and Snape didn't talk much and most of the day they spent their time in different areas of the hole. When Snape thought Hermione wasn't looking he would take a bean out from the bag and Hermione would laugh to herself as she watched him from the corner of her eye. Most of the day she read her book, and occasionally she would look up to see what her professor was doing. He would be pacing in the corner or looking up at the top of the hole, as if checking to see if anything changed.

At one point Hermione felt an urge that she could not ignore. Her bladder was insistent and she had no idea what to do. Finally she addressed the issue to the professor in the most embarrassed way and he huffed and pretended to ignore her. Ignoring her did not make her have to go pee any less however so she spent a good hour trying to make a latrine out of her surroundings. Using the spoon she had kept in her pants bag she dug a large hole, taking her a good hour, and then took the box of Kleenex from her pants bag and rested it beside it.

Somewhat proud of herself she ordered Snape to turn around and not look until she said so. He had no intention of disobeying and quickly turned around, pretending to study to wall of stone in front of him. Her telling him he could turn around now was the last thing she had said to him all day and the awkward silence didn't seem to have a way to mend itself. Hermione was okay with though, the silence left her able to concentrate on her book.

She didn't want to think about Seamus but she couldn't help it. She wondered if she would ever see him again and felt terrible about the fight they had. She hated thinking that the last time they ever would talk it would be angry words and bad feelings. Especially after such a nice thing he tried to do for her.

Harry and Ron too. Would they think that she ran off because she was so angry? With everyone angry at her would they still want to look for her? She hoped so. She couldn't imagine her last days being spent with a man who tried to make her life miserable. She watched him sit down and ignite a few of her parchment papers with some of the twigs from the floor. It lit quickly and he used the fire to dry his shoes from the dampness of the cavern. He was totally oblivious of her watching him, and she could sense he didn't want to be in this cave with her anymore than she did. Not that it took Trelawney to know something like that.

She hoped that in the morning everyone would be out looking for her. If she could hear people going through the Forbidden Forest she could call out to them and when they heard her they would be able to get her out of here. She knew that Seamus may have been mad at her when she left but he wouldn't stop looking for her until her found her. Neither would Harry or Ron for that matter. She had such wonderful friends, they would never just abandon her. That's when she realized no one would be looking for Severus Snape.

0o0o0o0

Night was taking over and the only light that Hermione and Snape had was the small flicker of the flame Snape had made. Hermione tried to read by the fire but she wasn't close enough to the fire for the light to shine on her pages. Moving closer she angled the book towards the flame and began to read where she had left off. Snape sat at the fire, poking it with a stick every couple minutes, appearing to be deep in thought.

"What are you doing?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Reading," she responded matter-of-factly, raising the book up so he could see it better.

"Seems like a waste of time when you have a 5 scroll essay on wit sharpening potions due tomorrow," he retorted smugly before closing his eyes and going to sleep.

Hermione groaned. As if he wanted her to write that 5 scroll essay for tomorrow when they were stuck in a pit; it should be the last thing in his mind. How could he expect her to be concerned with a 5 scroll essay when this could very well be the end of them? She was absolutely exhausted and did he care? Of course not. Taking out parchment from her pants bag, Hermione began to write her essay, using the orange ink and quill previously used by Snape to mark down point extractions. Putting a few more twigs on the fire, she started and finished her essay by the flame, and when she was finally finished, she could detect a hint of sun poking through the cover of branches over the hole. Yawning, she looked over at professor Snape and couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked while sleeping, so contrary to the harsh features he sported during the day. Then, she too went to sleep.

AN: Sorry that took a little longer than a week. I'm in the middle of moving right now so things are hectic, but will be back to normal after the 10th or so. I'm hoping to get chapter five up as soon as I'm moved in with internet again. In the mean time, please review!


	5. The Missing

Lying to Myself

Chapter Five – The Missing

Seamus woke up that morning groggy as ever. He couldn't remember what time he stayed up until the night before, but he knew it was way too late. Last night's fight with Hermione had ruined most of the night for him, but by the end of it he was able to enjoy dancing with his friends. He wasn't much of a dancer, but all his friends kept trying to convince him and finally he was able to get into it. By the end of the dance all the Gryffindors went back into their common room and played games until the wee hours of the night. Seamus expected Hermione to just be sulking in her room all night, waiting for him to come and apologize, but he wasn't going to be the one coming back to apologize this time.

Little did he know.

0o0o0o0

Hermione woke up to see drool on the paper she had worked so hard on all night. Did she really drool? Wiping off the excess moisture from the paper she looked over to see Snape sitting upright and smirking at her. Embarrassment struck her and she smiled sheepishly as she handed over her potions assignment. The professor looked down at the parchment with disdain and took it from her trying to touch as little of it as possible.

"You know," he said, "I'm going to have to take marks off for the orange ink and the stain of bodily function."

0o0o0o0

Walking into the common room, Seamus saw Harry and Ron both sitting on the couch talking. Not many people were in the common room yet and those who were didn't look happy to be. Seamus sat on the couch beside Harry and looked over at the two, expecting to be instantly in sync with the conversation.

"Have you talked to Hermione yet?" Ron asked, looking at Seamus expectantly.

"Why would I have?" Seamus replied, cocking his head.

"Well you know, the fight you two had last night."

Harry sat back, letting the two talk to each other without having to lean forward.

"Each time we fight, I'm always the one crawling back," Seamus stated, not in the happiest of moods. "Let her apologize to me this time."

Harry shook his head and stood up, adjusting his school robes. Turning around he looked at his to friends and said, "Well, I'm going to go see her then. She probably feels like she doesn't have a true friend to back her up, with Ron and me ganging up on her yesterday, then you and her fighting. Besides, I have to give her this back." Harry held up Hermione's wand before putting it back in his pocket. Seamus muttered a good luck and Ron got up in hopes of getting ready before classes.

0o0o0o0o

Once he got to Hermione's door Harry knocked lightly, knowing that she was already awake but a little tentative to see her reaction at seeing him. He wished Seamus would just go and apologized to her. Harry of all people knew what a stubborn streak Hermione had and the last thing he wanted was trouble in paradise. After waiting for a few minutes Harry knocked again. No answer. Harry knocked one more time and when there was no answer again, he figured she was still too angry to see him. She probably thought he was Seamus and was still too angry with him to talk.

Looking at his watch, Harry realized that if he didn't leave soon he would be late for class. They had dark arts class together first thing this morning and Hermione would never skip a class because she was angry with him, or anyone for that matter. He would see her in class and give her wand back then. In fact, she was probably just there early and when he got there, Hermione would be the first one he saw.

0o0o0oo0

Hermione looked at her watch, depressed.

"Right now I should be sitting in my dark arts class. I should be reading what's on the board, listening to the professor do his thing and jotting down notes. I should be in class, with my friends, learning. And what am I doing?" Hermione looked over at her professor who was still staring at her paper, making orange marks of corrections. He obviously wasn't listening to her, but what did she care? She had spent a day already with hardly any conversation and now she didn't care who was listening. "I'm stuck in a hole, sitting here helpless with a man who in a couple days will no doubt kill me and eat me for his next meal."

At that Hermione heard a low chuckle come from the her professor and she turned to watch him shake his head and go back to the essay in front of him.

"I'll take that as an affirmative," Hermione said, throwing a pebble against the opposite wall.

0o0o0o0

Dumbledore sat at the head of the table looking around at all his staff seated around the table patiently. One chair remained empty, that of Severus Snape.

"Why don't we just start without him, Albus?" Minerva suggested, motioning towards Severus' empty chair.

"None of us will miss him," Trelawney added. "He's always just sulking in his chair making rude and unnecessary comments anyway."

Albus looked at Professor Trelawney and slowly nodded his head. It wasn't that he didn't want Professor Snape there, but they didn't have the time to wait for him. All the teachers had classes to teach and students to get to. Snape obviously was doing some sort of silent protest against staff meetings again. Sending Binns to go quickly get Severus, Albus decided to wait just a bit longer.

"I don't have time for this," said Madam Hooch, looking at her watch. "I have a class to get to, some of my students are probably already getting there and where am I?"

"We'll have time," Albus assured her, sitting back in his chair. All of them waited for another five minutes. Some of the staff grumbled about the inconvenience and others just sat silently. Minerva leaned over to Dumbledor and said, "Sometimes I wish Severus would just grow up."

"Now, now, Minerva," Dumbledore chided watching Binns enter the room unaccompanied.

"I can't find him anywhere, Headmaster," Binns informed. "I checked his classroom, his rooms, I checked everywhere he could be."

Except a hole in the ground in the middle of the Forbidden Forest.

"Odd," replied Dumbledore, playing with his beard. "Consider our meeting postponed." The Headmaster got up from his chair and walked out the room purposefully, no doubt looking for where Snape could have run off to. All of the professors rose from their seats as well and started making their way to their classes.

0o0o0o0

Snape sat back against the stone wall of his holey prison. He was reading "Magical Drafts and Potions" by Arsenius Jigger, or at least pretending to. He had taken the book out of Hermione's bag that morning while she was still asleep. He had finished marking her paper but found no need in giving it back to her right away, he would decide when because he was in charge. Hermione sat on the complete opposite side of the area drawing scribbles in the mud with her index finger. He couldn't believe how homely she looked.

Her hair was a matted mess full of twigs and leaves, not to mention the mud that clung to the ends of her hair. Her cheeks had smudges on them from the dirt and a spot of dirt was smeared across her nose. Her clothes were covered by her robes during the fall, but they still weren't free of dirt. Brown splotches covered the material and the hems of her pants were soaked with muddy water. Absently, Snape wondered if he looked as bad as that and thought better of it. What did it matter what he looked like? The dark brown mud stains didn't stand out on the black of his robes anyway.

Sitting back, he wondered how he got in this mess. He could not imagine being trapped in a pit in such confines with Miss Granger. Sure there were worse people to be trapped in a hole with, Potter, Weasley and Finnegan to name a few, but she was not a desired alternative. He had spent almost two days already with the girl and didn't know how either of them was still alive. If someone didn't come soon he didn't know what would happen.

"I should be heading to transfiguration right about now," Hermione announced, looking at her watch. She had been announcing her day to him since she woke up and it was really starting to annoy him. Did she think she was the only one with a schedule?

"Yes, and I should be watching third years screw up yet another assignment!" he snapped at her. "Don't make the mistake of thinking you are the only one who wants out of here, Miss Granger."

Hermione looked up at her professor startled. It didn't surprise her that he had something rude to say; it was the fact that he seemed bothered by her pessimistic behaviour.

"For such an avid pessimist," Hermione commented, "I would have though you'd like a little pessimism from others."

Snape looked at Hermione and scowled. "I am not a pessimist," he informed, and went back to pretending to read his book.

Hermione laughed.

"Then what are you?" she asked incredulously.

"I am your professor," He responded and took out her paper from his robes, "and this is your grade."

Hermione stood up, tried to brush the excess dirt from her clothes and walked towards Severus. "Thank you," she said and took the paper from his hand. Sitting down, she looked at her mark that rested on the top of her page in bright orange ink.

"Excuse me, Professor," Hermione looked at the potions professor and back down at her page. "What kind of mark is this?"

"I took off ten percent for writing the paper in orange ink, and another ten percent for the drool stain," Snape looked at the girl as if it all made perfect sense, and she was a fool for asking.

"All I have is orange ink!" Hermione exclaimed, infuriated.

"Well you should have come more prepared then."

Hermione threw the paper at the man and walked back to the opposite side of the enclosure. She knew no matter what she said she couldn't reason with the man. He wasn't looking for reason; he was looking to drive her insane. She had had enough of him.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for such a display." Snape said as he pulled out his parchment and wrote it down with the rest of the lost house points.

"I don't care," Hermione breathed, sounding entirely sincere.

Her lack of reaction disappointed Snape. Taking his quill out once more, he scribbled the last entry out and put it away again. Sitting back again he started to read once more. He was tired, wet, hungry and thirsty all in one. They had no clean source of water and it was starting to become imperative that someone come find them. Lying back, Severus eyed a worm that was crawling out of the ground. If only he could master his gag reflex. Deciding to wait till he was hungrier Snape closed his eyes, only to be startled when he felt Hermione walk past him. Opening his eyes he saw her going through the bag in front of her. Finally she drew out a spoon that he knew to belong to Hogwarts. The swirling pattern on the handle that turned into a cursive H testified of that.

"You know, technically that is theft of school property," Snape commented, eyeing the spoon. "I could take away points for that."

Hermione glanced in his direction, shook her head and walked over to the other side of the pit again. There she started digging. Snape sat up and walked curiously for a few minutes and then got up, walking over to the girl.

"What are you doing now?" he asked, standing over the crouched girl and looking down at the beginning of a hole in the ground.

"What does it look like?"

"Why are you digging another hole, Miss Granger?" Snape only had so much patience. "We can only have so many holes within a hole."

"I'm digging a well, Professor," she said, making little progress with such a small utensil. "If I dig deep enough, I should reach clean, drinking water."

Snape nodded, wondering why he didn't think of that first. Angry at himself for having his student out think him on such an obvious thing, Snape got down on his knees.

"You're taking to long," he mumbled, pushing her aside, "I'll do it."

Hermione glared at he professor and started to use her hands to dig the hole, going faster than the spoon could ever allow. Severus dropped the spoon and began using his hands as well. Both knelt in front of the hole trying to dig as fast as they could.

"Miss Granger, I am perfectly capable of doing this alone."

"No," Hermione responded, "I can do this fine."

Slowly the hole became too deep for Hermione's reach and she had to watch as the professor's long arms reached down into the hole to scoop out the dirt. A small pool of water started to fill the hole, and Severus dug out a lit more dirt, letting more water come in. slowly the water filled the small hole half way and even though dirt swirled around in the water – it was welcome.

Running back to her pants bag Hermione pulled out a couple pieces of paper and started to fold them. Pretty soon she was coming back with two origami cups, handing one to Snape.

"My Grandmother and I used to make things out of origami a lot when I was little," Hermione recalled, a small smile on her face. "I guess some times it comes in handy."

Snape dipped his cup in the pool of water and Hermione did the same. The idea of water was a welcome relief to their dry mouths and empty stomachs. Snape looked at his glass and looked up to see Hermione raise her paper cup, water slowly leaking out the bottom.

"Cheers," Hermione said before downing her cup of water, and Snape his.

0o0o0o0o0

Harry ran up to the Headmaster, followed by Ron and Seamus.

"Hermione…" Harry began, finally stopping to catch his breath in front of the Headmaster. "We can't find her anywhere, Headmaster. She hasn't been to any of her classes and we looked everywhere else!"

Dumbledore didn't give the reaction Harry was looking for. Instead he stood there, a blank expression on his face before nodding curtly. "I can't speak with you now boys," he addressed them, "we all have an assembly to go to. After the assembly, if you could please see me in my office."

Harry nodded, and the three boys followed Dumbledore to the Great Hall. Just before opening the doors to the Great Hall, Dumbledore turned his head to look at Harry with a quizzical brow on his face.

"When did you decide to go blonde, Mr. Potter?" he asked.

All Harry could do was grumble, and walk into the Great Hall, accompanied by his two friends. Ron and Seamus were snickering behind him.The three sat down at the Gryffindor table, across from Patil and Lavander.

Patil leaned over, addressing the three boys. "Is it true that Hermione is missing?" she asked, looking back and forth between the three. None of them answered her. Harry was still recovering from an earlier conversation with the girl entailing her going on and on about how blonde suited him.

Dumbledore stood up in front of everyone and the room fell quiet. Rumors had been flooding the school but no one really knew for sure why the assembly had been called. They were all about to find out.

"Two people are missing from Hogwarts," Dumbledore began. Whispers filled the room, as people confirmed to each other exactly who was missing. They died down quickly however when Dumbledore continued speaking. "Students are to travel in groups, and at the very least in pairs. Do not go walking through the castle or the castle grounds alone at any time. We are currently trying to locate the missing persons and until we find out where they are or what happened to them, this rule will stay in effect."

"In the mean time," Dumbledore added, "Professor Basbora will be substituting and teaching potions class."

Professor Basbora stood and waved at all the students, a large smile on his face.

A loud roar of voices filled the great hall as everyone discussed what they had just been told. Dumbledore never told them who was missing, but everyone knew. It was Professor Snape and Hermione Granger.

O0o0o0o0

"Bean?" Hermione offered, handing the bag of beans over to Snape. Severus took the bag from her hand and rifled through it, careful not to pick out any suspicious coloured beans . Hermione sat by the fire putting two or three beans in her mouth at a time. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"This way," Hermione explained, "if I get a nasty tasting bean, and a good tasting bean, the flavors cancel each other out.

Snape shook his head and picked out a bean. Grass flavored wasn't his favorite but he could do a lot worse. "And if they all taste nasty?" he asked.

"Pessimist," was all Hermione could say.

Snape ignored the comment and continued to eat, one bean at a time.

"Is there any one you don't hate?" Hermione asked, conversationally. Snape just looked up at her before going through the bag of beans once more.

"Well every time I do or say something you just curl your lip at me like I disgust you. I'm wondering if there is anyone you actually like."

"like is such a loose term," Snape replied sarcastically, putting another bean in his mouth.

"Well it looks like we're going to be in this hole for a while, so you might as well stop acting as though I'm a worm flavored bean."

Snape ignored her.

"I'm just saying. I don't like you either. You've terrorized me since year one, but you making snide comments and taking house points does not make this whole experience any better."

The professor looked up at the girl and curled his lip. "Maybe if you ceased talking, Miss Granger, this whole experience would be a lot more pleasant."

Hermione walked away, mouthing his words, mocking him.

"Ten points from Gryffindor."

0o0o0o0

The three boys sat in front of the Headmaster's desk.

"Was Miss Granger at the dance last night?" Dumbledore asked the boys, particularly Seamus Finnegan.

"No, sir, she wasn't," Seamus replied, looking at the floor guiltily. "We got in a fight last night and she ended up not going…"

"When did you have this fight, Mr. Finnegan?"

"Right before dinner, sir."

"Is that the last time you saw her?" Dumbledore asked

"Yes, Headmaster," came the meek reply.

Albus shook his head. Two people missing from that night, and he had no way of explaining it. He hadn't seen Severus in the Great Hall for dinner that night but he had expected that the festivities of the dance had convinced him to take dinner in his rooms. It wasn't unusual for Severus to skip on a meal in the Great Hall, and if Miss Granger was in a foul mood it wasn't preposterous to think she would stay in her rooms either. He couldn't even pin point a time when they had gone missing. All he could do right now was send people out to look for the two.

"I will dispatch a search party to check the grounds, Hogsmead and the Forbidden Forest. I don't know what more I can do than that without anymore information." Dumbledore explained and the boys nodded in response.

"Do you think it was Death Eaters, sir?" Ron asked the question that was on all of their minds.

"I don't know, Mr. Weasley."

0o0o0o0

Hermione laid by the fire, trying to get warm. It was particularly cold that night and she felt chilled to the bone. She had her school robes wrapped around her like a blanket and she used her pants bag as a pillow. It wasn't soft, but it was something. It wouldn't be long until they ran out of things to light on fire. She didn't know how they were going to keep warm once that happened. The nights were only going to get colder.

Snape sat beside the small fire, using a thin stick to prod the fire's fuel to keep the fire burning. He didn't mind the cold so much; he was used to these temperatures. Miss Granger however was shivering even with the flame's heat and he wasn't sure why she remained so cold. That wasn't his problem though. He was doing what he could, and she should be grateful for that. Leaning against the rock wall, Snape fell asleep. It would be a long day of putting up with Miss Granger again tomorrow and he needed his rest.

Hermione tried to sleep but couldn't. Every time she closed her eyes she started to think about Seamus. She wanted to cry. This had turned out to be the longest and worse detention of her life. All she wanted was to see her friends again, to see Seamus again. It had been two days now, hopefully some one would find them in the morning.

0o0o0o0

Severus woke up to Hermione screaming.

Before he knew it he was at his feet ready to duel whoever had intruded his hole. It was dark, and it took a while for his eyes to adjust to what little moonlight entered into the pit. He could see Hermione tossing around on the ground, restless and mumbling to herself.

'Stupid girl,' he thought to himself as he walked over to her. She had woken him up from a wonderful, dreamless sleep and she wasn't in any danger at all. Using his foot he nudged her awake. He wasn't gentle by any means, but he wasn't trying to hurt the girl either. Hermione woke with a start and he could tell it took her a bit to adjust to her surroundings.

"What in Merlin's name is wrong with you, girl?" he hissed.

Hermione looked around and then down at the floor, avoiding the Professor's eyes which she knew were focused on her.

"I had a bad dream," she mumbled.

Snape huffed and went back to where he slept. He knew he should rekindle the fire at his feet to make the night feel less bitter. He still couldn't see much however and didn't have the energy to do the Gryffindor such a favor after she needlessly awoke him at such a late hour. Lying down, Severus wrapped the cloak around him and went back to sleep.

Sleep didn't come as easily to a Miss Hermione Granger however. She had had a terrible dream and feared falling asleep would only continue the nightmare. Sighing, she stared out at the night and shivered. It was terribly cold and even if she did want to sleep, she didn't think it would be possible for her. She could hear the soft breathing of Professor Snape and for the first time in her life, she envied him. She wished she could just fall asleep like he did. Absently, Hermione thought what he might be dreaming about.


	6. The Casualty

Lying to Myself

Chapter six – The Casualty

Harry, Ron and Seamus sat at Hagrid's table, absolutely exhausted. They had all been up through the night, searching for Hermione to no avail. Harry sipped at his glass, letting the warm liquid flow down his throat. The sun was due to rise in just a few short hours and the three knew they had to get back to their dorms. Hagrid continued to look at the ground.

"I don't know where Hermione could have gone," Ron started, exasperated. The other three just shook their heads. They had checked every place they could. Using Harry's invisibility cloak they checked all over the castle and then all of the school grounds. It occurred to all of them that she could be in serious danger. They had checked the Forbidden Forest as well but again had no luck. Seamus hung his head over his steaming mug and breathed in deeply.

"This is entirely my fault," he groaned into his cup.

"Don't be stupid, Seamus," Harry groaned. "Hermione would never run off like this over some fight with you."

"I don't think she ran off at all," Ron chimed in. "Someone took her."

Hagrid looked up.

"Do you think you-know-who has her?" Hagrid asked the boys, looking more than a little perturbed.

"My scar hasn't hurt at all lately," Harry replied, feeling the scar on his forehead. "If Voldemort had her, you would think I would feel something."

Ron looked at his three friends with his eyes wide. "You don't think Snape kidnapped her, do you?"

All four were silent for a moment as they thought of all the possibilities.

"Whatever happened," Hagrid replied after a short while, "they're both missing."

"We better get to the castle," Seamus said, getting up. He didn't want to think about it any more. He had no idea where Hermione was and the harsh sting of guilt tugged at him. He couldn't help but think that if Hermione wasn't mad at him she would have been at the dance, and if she came to the dance, none of this would have happened. He wanted to be able to protect her but just proved that he couldn't. Harry and Ron got up too, following the boy out of Hagrid's home and towards the castle.

0o0o0o0o0

"Will you stop the racket?" Severus yelled, unable to ignore the girl any longer. Hermione didn't even look back at him; she continued to scream out at the top of her lungs hoping someone would hear her. Snape would have stuck his fingers in his ears if it wouldn't look so ridiculous. It didn't help that all her screaming echoed in the large pit, making the noise twice, if not even three times as loud. He wanted to strangle the girl, but instead he took out his piece of parchment and started taking off five points for ever second his ears rang. It wasn't that he wanted to be stuck in this hole, but at the same time he knew no one could hear them. If someone could, they would have been rescued days ago. Picking up a book he tried to read again, but failed. There was no possibility of concentrating with Miss Granger screaming like a banshee.

"Miss Granger!" Severus yelled again.

"SHHH!" Hermione shushed loudly, looking back at him with a finger to her lips.

"Excuse me?!" he roared. Had she just shushed him? Ten points from Gryffindor!

"SHHHHHHHH!" Hermione shushed louder this time, waving her hand at him and looking back to the entrance of the hole.

Snape was shocked. This _girl, _this _student_ had just shushed him, twice, after yelling at the top of her lungs for over an hour! Where did she get the nerve to think she could shush him!

"Do you hear that?" Hermione asked, looking back at Snape quickly before turning her ear to the hole's opening once more.

Snape stopped his inner rant to try and listen for a moment. Yes, he could hear something. In the distance he heard a man calling. He couldn't make out what was being yelled, but it was definitely someone. Slowly, he could hear the calling getting louder and realized that whoever it was, was going to be able to find them.

"Well don't just stand there! Yell, you stupid girl," Snape commanded.

Hermione didn't care that he was insulting her this time, all she cared about was being found. So, she yelled.

"Help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Help me! I'm trapped in a hole!" Stopping, she could hear the man come closer, could hear his noisy foot steps. Hope filled her.

"Help me! I'm trapped in a hole… With Professor Snape!" She made it sound like he was what she needed help from, rather than him needing help out too.

Both heard the footsteps stop at the hole. Hermione was ecstatic. They were going to be saved. Snape got up and walked over to the hole's entrance, looking up at the fallen tree above them.

"Do you have a rope?" he asked the stranger.

"Well, look what we 'ave 'ere!" exclaimed Hagrid from above them. "Wonder what knocked this tree down," he mused, before starting to walk around it.

"Hagrid! Down here!" Hermione called up, seeing the legs of the half giant. He didn't seem to hear her as he began moving on. The heard him call her name again, obviously looking for her in exasperation.

Hermione's heart sank.

"Why didn't he hear me?" she asked no one, sitting down in the dirt and putting her head in her hands.

"Obviously, the hole is charmed," Snape replied. "I'm surprised a know-it-all like you didn't figure it out."

Hermione looked up, not even thinking to glare at the man. "Why would it be charmed?" she asked, the evidence of all hope lost in her eyes.

"Why would there be a giant hole in the middle of no where?" he asked back, scoffing and sitting down by the remnants of the fire once more. Picking up his book he started to read again, thankful for the silence around him.

"We're doomed," she groaned, putting her head between her legs. "I'm going to die in this pit, with _you,"_ she glared at Snape, silently accusing him of everything. Snape ignored her and continued to read his book. His ears perked though when he started to hear her faint sobbing.

"I'm not that bad," Snape said sarcastically.

"Yes, you are," she replied, wiping her nose on her dirtied sleeve. Looking at him she could see his lips form a smirk.

"How can you not care?" Hermione asked, standing to go sit across from him. "You're going to die in this hell hole and you don't care."

Snape flipped a page in his book, and Hermione figured he was set on ignoring her.

"When you've lived my life," he replied slowly, his eyes still on his book, "you come to realize that death isn't a bad option."

Hermione sat silently, staring at her potions professor across from her. She knew he had a hard life. Being a spy could never be considered easy. Yet she had never considered what toll it had on him. She supposed she had never really thought to care due to what a git he was to her. Looking at him she could see the faint scar that ran across his cheek and wondered where it came from. She could only guess he had more scars where she could not see. She couldn't imagine pretending to be friends with someone like Malfoy in order to leak information to Harry. She would hate every second of it. And what if she was caught? What if Snape was caught? Slowly it dawned on her that even if this man didn't care if he lived or died, he did care enough to save everyone else. To help the light defeat the dark.

"Is that why you're such a git?" she asked out loud before she could stop herself.

"Is that why you're so annoying?" Snape drawled back as he picked up his parchment and took off a few points from her house.

"Oh, will you stop that?" She asked, rolling her eyes at the paper and quill in front of him. Snape just pocketed the parchment and went about reading the book again.

Hermione sighed and went through her pants bag. Eventually she picked out a book for herself and read as she munched on some beans. For a second she thought about offering some to Snape, and then thought better of it. If he wanted some, he could ask. And say please while he was at it.

0o0o0o0

A group of Gryffindors sat in their common room, discussing the matter of one Hermione Granger. Harry sat on the couch with Ron on his left and Ginny on his right. Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Pavarti, and Neville crowded around and completed the circle.

"Well, after this whole week it's been kind of obvious that Snape can't stand Hermione," Harry said. The rest of them all nodded their heads.

"You don't think he killed her and ran off, do you?" Neville asked, shuddering at the thought.

"No, more like he's using her for potions experiments," Dean replied, before looking to Harry.

"I wouldn't doubt that Hermione just got fed up with Snape and offed him," Ginny said, nodding her head in approval at her own theory. "Now she's hiding so she doesn't have to go to Azkaban."

Harry shook his head. "Hermione would never skip a class. Whatever has happened, she's trapped some where. Someone has taken her."

"Well what about you-know-who," Pavarti chimed in, looking wide eyed. "He could have taken her."

"And then ran off with Snape," Ron added.

"He can't be anywhere near here;" Harry corrected, "my scar isn't hurting."

"Well what if he use his connections. What if Snape kidnapped her and took her to him."

Harry nodded slowly. "I don't think it was Snape though."

Neville snorted.

"If it was Snape, I think Dumbledore would have some idea of it. Snape may be a git, a complete git at that, but he's on our side."

"Could have fooled me," Ron huffed.

"So whoever took Hermione has Snape too?" Pavarti asked, looking to Harry.

"Maybe they joined a circus and are now called Mocha and Mione," Lavender said.

All eyes were on Lavender. Ginny was the first to blink.

"Them running off together to get eloped is more likely than that," Ginny said, laughing at Lavender.

"And that is not even a possibility," Seamus replied. Harry looked at Seamus, surprised he had said anything. He hadn't really spoken much all day since they had come back from Hagrid's that morning.

"So then," Ginny trailed off.

"We need to find whoever kidnapped Hermione, we find them, we find her." Harry stated, jutting out his chin.

The group nodded and all got up for lunch. Harry and Ron were the last to walk out the Gryffindor exit.

"Harry," Ron said tentatively. "You sure Snape wouldn't have taken her?"

Harry looked back at his friend and shook his head. He couldn't be sure of anything right then, especially Snape. It was too much of a coincidence for his disappearance to be at the same time as Hermione's for it not to be related. He just didn't know what linked the two together. Was Snape holding her captive? Or were they both just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe Snape was captured and Hermione saw and tried to do something about it. All Harry knew right then was that he needed to find Hermione.

Ron walked past Harry and out the door where Seamus waited, shuffling his feet. Ron nodded to Seamus and together they started toward the Great Hall, Harry following behind them. What they didn't see was a very smug Malfoy standing behind them.

0o0o0o0o

Severus looked back up at Hermione with disdain. He wasn't sure what she was doing, and that frustrated him. He knew asking would make it seem like he cared and talking would make it seem like he was up for conversation. Instead he peered up from the corner of his book and watched her as she scribbled in her notebook and eventually started to collect small pebble sized rocks – dark ones and light ones. When she looked over to him he quickly immersed himself in the book, and silently cursed himself when he saw her walking towards him. The last thing he needed was her asking him why he kept staring at her. Why did he keep staring at her? After quick contemplation he realized that being stuck in a hole for a period of time messed with a person's brain. Slowly he looked up to see a pair of knobby knees at his eye level.

"I need you to move your foot," she stated, looking down at the man.

Severus pressed his foot against the ground as hard as he could and asked, "why?"

"Because you're stepping on a rock I need," she answered, bending down in hopes of snatching the rock up from under his shoe.

"How do you know this isn't my rock?" Snape quickly released his foot and picked the rock up, rolling it between his fingers. "I quite like this rock, and I do believe it's mine."

Hermione whispered 'grow up' to herself and walked away in hopes of finding a different rock.

0o0o0o0

"Where's Pavarti?" Lavender asked Dean as they sat down to lunch. She had thought they all walked to the Great Hall together, but then realized she was too busy talking to Dean to notice her friend was not with them. Harry and Ron shrugged their shoulders and continued to eat. Seamus was too morose to care.

"Fine, I'll go look for her," Lavender said, getting up from the table and glaring at the uncaring boys. Dean stood up too.

"I'll come with you."

Together the two walked towards the common room, thinking that maybe the missing girl had forgotten something in her room and gone back for it. Halfway to their dorms however, they bumped into her.

"Oh!" Pavarti exclaimed. "What are you two doing back here?"

"To get you," Lavender answered. "Where'd you go?"

"I forgot my bag in my room," she explained. "I had to go back and get it but here I am." There was a slight pause until Pavarti exclaimed, "I'm starving!"

The three walked back to the Great Hall, Lavender and Dean laughing and Pavarti deep in thought.

0o0o0o0

Snape had returned to his book and after a while looked back up to see his student looking around once again. He was beginning to become utterly bored and looked down at the book again. It was no use reading; he knew every word to the book. If he wanted, he could recite it out loud a thousand times. Grunting, he threw down the book and crossed his arms. Light was starting to fade from the hole and he knew he would have to start a fire soon enough. Looking over to Hermione once more, he saw that she was staring right at him.

"What are you staring at?" he barked. "Ten points from Gryffindor!"

Hermione shook her head. "Do you want to play chess?" she asked.

Snape smirked. "Are you so dim-witted that you can't even remember we're stuck in a hole with no chess board?"

"I made one," Hermione replied, holding up a piece of parchment she drew a chess board on and pointing to the two different shades of rocks. "If we're going to be down here we might as well do something," she added, walking over to him, bringing the game over with her. "Besides, I noticed you weren't very interested in your book anyway." She hid a smile.

Severus stood up to start making the fire. In order to play the game they needed light, and he didn't want the girl complaining about being too cold the entire time. Hitting the two rocks together he created a spark and started to nurse the fire. Slowly the flame began to rise. Sitting back, he looked to his student to see that she had gone back to her original spot, across the room from him. It was obvious she took his lack of answer to mean rejection. She seemed depressed, sitting on the ground, rearranging dirt with the toe of her shoe.

"What are you waiting for?" Snape snapped. "You can't play that silly game by yourself."

Despite his descending tone and rude gesture Hermione's face lit up. She smiled at him before picking up the game and bringing it over to him. Sitting down she handed him one pile of rocks and started placing her rocks into place on the board.

Severus could not remember the last time someone had smiled at him.

0o0o0o0o0

Snape placed his game piece down.

"King me," he said, curbing a smile.

Hermione drew a crown on the top of his rock will her orange ink quill and made her move. This was their third game and also the tie breaker. She had won the first game which had drove Snape crazy, and he won the second one – with sheer will power. To make things interesting Hermione had raised the stakes on the game. Who ever won got Severus' cloak. At first Severus was against the idea, but Hermione convinced him saying it was the only thing useful for them to bet. If he won he would get to keep his teaching robes and if she won she would get them. She wanted to win for the extra warmth it would give at night and he would want to win just to keep the extra layer. So there Snape sat in his black button up shirt and black pants, the robe lying beside the two of them.

Snape stared at the board and moved his rock piece, jumping over one of Hermione's. Hermione moved her piece to the left and Snape moved his to the right. Hermione jumped one of Snape's pieces and Snape jumped Hermione's back. Both were transfixed on the board, watching at it slowly shrank down until Hermione had two kinged pieces on the board and Snape had one.

"It's in your best interest I win," Snape said, moving his piece over towards Hermione's.

"Why is that?" she asked, not bothering to look up at him, but to move her piece one move back away from his.

"Because I'm even more unlivable without my cloak." Snape moved his piece and smirked. No matter where Hermione moved now he would be able to win.

Hermione sighed and moved her piece.

Snape smirked as he jumped both her pieces and looked up at her.

"I won," he gloated and looked over to his cloak, ready to reach over and put it back on.

He could have put it back on too, had it not been rising in flames with the fire.

Snape jumped up and grabbed his cloak, throwing it back to the ground and stomping on it wildly. The cloak was finally extinguished but obviously tattered and burnt. Picking it up, Snape could see that only the collar and the shoulders of the garment remained intact.

"Ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape shouted as he threw the robe at her and stormed off to the other section of the hole. Hermione stood agape for a second before storming after her professor.

"Why is it my fault?!"

"Everything is your fault!" Severus yelled back at her. "We're in a hole: your fault. We have no way to get out: your fault. My cloak is ashes: your fault!"

"We're in a hole you pushed us in. We're stuck in a hole because you can't hold on to your wand. Your cloak is ashes because you put it too close to the fire. I'm miserable because you're insufferable!"

Hermione stormed away and collapsed on the ground where her bag lay. Exhausted, she laid down on the ground and tried to sleep, but only succeeded in silently sobbing. She couldn't hear Snape behind her but knew he hadn't moved. Eventually she fell asleep.

0o0o0o0

Hermione woke to hear Snape's groaning. The fire had resulted to embers but she could see outline of her professor's face and the pain etched across it. He held his arm tightly and remained lying on the ground. Slowly she stood and walked towards him. He did not notice her as she sat down in front of him, watching him clutch at his arm and writhe in pain. She could tell by the way his leg twitched that he could feel the pain all through his body, but his arm was the main source of his anguish.

"What happened?" She asked, looking around to see something that could be the culprit. Severus opened his eyes and could only manage a small gasp before tightly shutting his eyes once more. Blood seeped through the thin material of his shirt and oozed between the fingers that covered his wound. Hermione took great effort in removing the Professor's hand from his arm, flinching as he stifled cries from the agony it caused. Ripping through his sleeve she could see the glaring of the dark mark against his skin. Blood poured from the mark's crevices and dripped onto Hermione's lap. It was then that Hermione realized Severus Snape was being summoned.

Getting up, Hermione used the ripped portion of Snape's sleeve and dipped it in the watery well they had made earlier. She cupped the dripping cloth in her hand as she brought it back over to him and pressed it against the bloody mark in hopes of stopping the blood flow. Snape screamed at her as she applied pressure and tried to push her away, but he was too weak and only managed to fall back. He continued to breathe, yet it was very shallow. His eyes fluttered as if in a state between conscious and unconscious. Ripping another piece of cloth from the hem of her own robe, Hermione wet it and placed it atop of his forehead. His whole body was shuddering, the tips of his fingers twitched.

Hermione ripped one more long piece of fabric and fastened it tight around Severus' bicep. The cloth managed to slow down the bleeding, and Hermione managed to subdue the rest with the pressure of the cloth in her hand. Snape made no more noises of pain or protest and the only reason she was aware he lived was due to the slow rising and falling of his chest. After making sure that he would be okay, Hermione rose to wet the cloth again and place it on Snape's forehead. When she knelt down beside him again she noticed that his breathing had changed. His chest was failing to rise and fall. Putting her cheek near his lips she felt for the flow of air, but none came.

He was not breathing.

0o0o0o0

Seamus sat in the empty common room. He couldn't sleep. He knew somehow it was his fault for Hermione's disappearance. If they hadn't have fought then she would have gone to the dance and she would be with him. Now he had no idea where she could be. He should have been there for her, to protect her. When he found out who did this, they would pay. Exhausted, he laid down on the couch, hoping that maybe sleep could overcome him. Instead, he saw a shadow move around him and sit in front of him. At first he thought it was Hermione, until he saw that it was Pavarti.

"I don't want to talk right now Pavarti," Seamus said before closing his eyes once more.

Pavarti sat down on the table, across from Seamus, ignoring his request.

"I'm sorry about Hermione," she whispered. "I know you two were close."

Seamus was silent.

"I feel terrible about everything. I mean, we didn't really have much in common but I still considered us friends."

Seamus sighed, and continued to try and sleep.

"And I feel terrible for you too," she added, "I mean, this can't be easy on you, loosing the love of your life. How will you move on?"

Seamus sat up.

"It's not really as much that as it's how guilty I feel about this whole thing. I just feel like it's my fault."

"How could it be your fault Seamus?" Pavarti asked, tilting her head. "You've been nothing but wonderful to Hermione."

"We got in a fight," Seamus explained, looking away. "I said some thing I didn't mean and now she's gone. If I hadn't have gotten in that fight with her she would have gone to the dance and everything would be fine right now."

"Oh, Seamus!" Pavarti moved from the couch to sit beside Seamus. "It's really not your fault. If Hermione ran off she was being silly! If someone kidnapped her they would have gotten her at a different time anyway. No one blames you, especially me."

Seamus shook his head and Pavarti moved it so he could rest it on her shoulder.

"I know no one really understands you, Seamus. I heard about your fight with Hermione from Lavender, who heard it from Dean, who heard it from Ron, and you weren't the one in the wrong. Hermione should have been ecstatic about what you did for her. I know I would have been…"

Seamus sat there, his head on Pavarti's shoulder, silent.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" she suggested.

Seamus nodded his head and got up. Both Seamus and Pavarti walked out of the common room.

"Best part is that Professor Snape is missing so we don't have to worry about him roaming the halls."

0o0o0o0

Hermione cursed herself for not having a wand. Severus was dying and she had no wand to do anything about it. Not giving it a second thought, Hermione began to administer CPR. She had learned it in her muggle swimming lesson back at home. Her parents had insisted and now she was glad. Somewhere in the back of her head she thought about being stuck in the hole, accompanied by her dead professor. The thought only encouraged her more. Counting to three she pumped on his chest before going back to breathe air through his mouth.

She continued the procedure for longer than she could keep track. The sun was beginning to rise and she could see the evidence of light pouring through between the branches above the hole.

She knew that by this time there could be no hope for him but she continued anyway. She checked his pulse again, but felt none.

She could not give up.

Quickly Hermione plugged his nose, tilted his head back and pressed her lips to his, letting out two breaths. She placed her hands together on his chest and pressed three times. She went back to his face and breathed. She pumped. She breathed. She pumped. She breathed. She pumped. She checked his pulse.

Nothing.

Hermione sat in the mud and began to sob. She had tried her hardest, for hours but could not save him. All night long she had tried and to no avail. She wouldn't miss his sarcastic remarks or his points taking frenzy. He was not a nice man and she would not miss his company. Yet he was, somewhere, a good man who had done a lot for the side of the light. He had risked his life for years as a spy, so that the rest of the wizarding world could possible find peace. He was courageous. He was brilliant.

He was dead.

A/N: I would like to thank all of those who have taken the time to review. The reviews tend to help keep me writing and on the ball with updates.

realm-creatress: I'm glad you find my story funny, sometimes an author has to wonder just how much of their story is funny, and how much is stupid.

HRInuyashaFan16: Hermione's nightmare wont be talked about for a few chapters to come, but have some patience, bear with me and keep reading and you'll get your answers!

Moonprincess92: I'm glad you think my story is original. I love reading Hr/SS stories but I really do find most of them have the same plot, and the same quick development which is why I'm trying to do it the way I think it should be done! I'm not saying I'm the best writer or person for the job by any means, but I figured I could give it a go. As for reading my story someplace else, you probably have, I have posted it in the astronomy tower and as well as veritaserum. However, these sites tend to take a while to actually post the story on their sites, and so until I finish the story I think I'm going to just stick with it here and see what people think!

Kakashisninjadogs: We'll just see how he'll have to react when the little cousin refuses to be ignored, wont we?

Until next chapter, Pixie-sarah


	7. The Lonely

Lying to Myself

Chapter Seven – The Lonely

Seamus walked down the corridor, Pavarti beside him. It was no longer dark outside, and the light seemed to sparkle at the window pane. They had spent most of the night sitting in an empty classroom talking. Seamus was surprised at how well he could talk to Pavarti. It hadn't been awkward like he expected and he soon realized she was about a lot more than clothes and make-up than Hermione had suggested. He wished they would have found her friendship sooner.

It was surprising how well she understood him. Harry and Ron shared his loss of Hermione, but Pavarti knew exactly how he felt. He didn't have to explain it all to her – she already knew. It was as if she was hurting just as much as he was.

He was just so lonely.

They finally made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Seamus opened his mouth to say the password but Pavarti stopped him.

"Seamus…" she began, "I had a wonderful time tonight. I didn't realize just how well we got along."

Seamus nodded his head and smiled. He mumbled the password and waited to follow Pavarti inside.

"Oh, I just realized I forgot my purse in the classroom!" She suddenly realized aloud, and without even looking to Seamus she started to run the other way.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He called after her, but she was already too far off.

0o0o0o0

Hermione sat on the ground at her professor's side. Nothing had changed. She sobbed into her hands. Snape was dead, and there was nothing she could do to change that. She had tried; she had done everything she was capable of. Now, she was alone. She was alone in a hole with no possibility of escape. She knew that eventually she would die too, and she cursed Snape for leaving her to die alone. Not that he was her ideal company, but he was something. She was almost getting used to his snide manner and sarcastic remarks.

Almost.

Hermione thought about Seamus back at Hogwarts. Did he miss her? Was he searching everywhere for her? She could imagine how hard her disappearance must be for him. By herself she would never be able to find a way out and she realized that even though it all seemed grim, she had counted on Snape thinking of something eventually.

Hermione lashed out and hit Snape on the chest with her fist.

"You selfish ba- " Hermione stopped short. She could have sworn she heard a wheeze coming from the Potion Master's lips when she hit him.

0o0o0o0o0

Seamus walked into the common room and moved towards the welcoming couch where he had been sitting just hours earlier when Pavarti had come to him. It was so late, or early depending on how you looked at it, and Seamus was exhausted. He flopped down onto the couch but something hard met him in the small of his back before he could find the comfort he was looking for. Stifling a small yelp of pain, Seamus quickly sat up to look down at the offending pink purse. He could see a small pen (which was actually mascara, but how would he know that?) sticking out of the purse where the zipper gave way just enough for it to poke out. Rubbing his back slightly he put the purse on the adjacent table and laid back down. He didn't know who the purse belonged to but one of the girls would wake up in the morning and find it, and they were more likely to figure it out. Fleetingly he thought of Hermione's pants bag but instantly cleared it from his mind – he didn't need to think about that right now.

Closing his eyes he considered going to his bed but decided against it. Chances are he would wake up one of the boys and he didn't want any questions. He was better of falling asleep on the couch and waking up when the eager first years woke up early for breakfast.

Sometimes, what seemed even hours after he had fallen asleep he thought he heard the portrait of the Fat Lady swing open but his eye lids were too heavy and the fatigue too great to bother looking.

He woke to a first year and got ready for breakfast. The purse was gone and he glad to see that someone must have found it.

0o0o0o

"I am really worried, Albus." Minerva sat down at the desk in front of the Headmaster and tapped her fingers on the hard wood.

"I am trying my hardest," came the sad reply. Albus looked at the worried woman and gave a small smile. He didn't know where they could have gone and all the searches he had requested came back empty. No one had any idea where they could be. Something was very strange, and unless Voldemort had become aware of Severus' status as a spy, he could not be the culprit either. There was something very wrong about the whole situation and he was sure to find out what it was.

"I just don't understand what could have happened," the professor said aloud, trying to somehow comprehend the entire situation.

"Perhaps they've fallen and can't get up," Dumbledore said, trying to make light of the situation.

"That isn't the least bit funny, Albus," Minerva chided.

0o0o0o0o

Hermione put her ear to Snape's lips and listened for breath, but none came. She pressed two fingers to his neck, but no pulse showed. She knew she heard something though, and it gave her hope. She needed to keep trying.

She began CPR again, not thinking of the way her lips touched his – this wasn't romantic in the least. She had probably "kissed" her potions master more than anyone else in her life by now – including Seamus. None of this made a difference however; the only thing she focused on was bringing him back.

Convinced he could live, she kept on going. It didn't matter if she spent the rest of her time trying to bring him back, she would do it.

She had to do it.

Tears streamed down her face as she continued to pump her hands against Severus' chest. Her thoughts were a total blur, and she couldn't think about why she was really crying. She sobbed between each breath she gave him and hiccupped at each exerted force she made to make his heart beat again. She was covered in mud, blood, sweat and tears and dark circles showed under her eyes. Even with her state, she knew she looked ten times better than the man in front of her.

Slowly, hope began to ebb from her as she realized once again that he wasn't coming back. He wasn't going to come back. What she thought had been a wheeze was more or less her imagination. She had failed. She had failed Severus Snape, and she had failed herself. A fresh batch of tears came quickly, as well as the sudden burst of loneliness and foreboding. Without a thought she put her face in her hands and sobbed.

Her tears dripped into a puddle in her hands, where they leaked through her fingers and into the mud at her knees. She wasn't strong enough for this. She couldn't handle being left alone in this pit. She had constantly blamed Snape for everything and thought of him being the worst person to be stuck with. She was wrong. Being alone was much, much worse. She would die alone, with no hope in the world. This wasn't the future she had planned for herself.

Hermione laid down beside the professor, looking out to the top of the hole. There, she hoped for death to just finally consume her.

0o0o0o0

"I found this in the Forbidden Forest, 'eadmaster," Hagrid spoke slowly, handing the piece to Albus.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Dumbledore replied and sat down at his desk, Hagrid continuing to stand across from him.

"This is Severus' wand," Albus spoke to himself, turning the wand over in his hands and examining it.

The Headmaster shook his head slowly and quietly dismissed the half giant. Things were terribly amiss, and knowing that both Hermione and Severus were missing their wands only added to the idea of their danger. Bringing his own wand over that of Severus', he whispered a few words and watched as the tip of his wand turned green. He waited for the other wand to turn green like his own but nothing happened. A frown wrinkled the old wizards face as sadness became him. Pocketing the wand, Dumbledore rose from his chair and headed towards the fireplace. Shortly after, he was speaking with Minerva, his face decorating the fireplace in front of her.

"He's what?" Minerva almost shouted at the Headmaster, standing up from her chair in an instant.

"I'm afraid so, Minerva," came the sad reply.

"Well what about Hermione?"

"When I checked the wand Mr.Potter gave me it showed her to be alive still. Knowing Severus' status however, we should check again."

"Well…?" Minerva asked impatiently, expecting Albus to hop to it.

"I'm afraid Mr.Potter still has her wand, and we should get it right away."

"I'll go fetch him right now," Minerva replied, walking over to her door.

"Minerva?" Dumbledore began, waiting for her to stop.

"Yes?" She asked, turning around.

"Let's keep Severus' departure to ourselves for now."

Professor McGonagall just nodded and walked out the door

0o0o0o0

Harry and Ron walked to their class, slowly discussing what they were going to do about Hermione. Seamus was supposed to meet them at the Fat Lady portrait but didn't show up, so they left without him, not wanting to be late for class. Despite Harry living with the mess of blonde hair for quite some time now, people continued to give him strange looks as they passed. He did not like the attention. One of the first years even brought the paper to him to show him the front page, with a huge smile on his face. "Wonder boy goes blonde" read the bold title and all Harry could do was roll his eyes.

It was more unwanted attention for Harry, as well as the fact he had been mistaken for Malfoy once or twice. He was learning to deal with it however, and Hermione gone missing distracted him more than enough.

"We could go looking for her again tonight," Ron suggested as they turned the corner.

"There has to be something more we can do," Harry replied, obviously frustrated.

"If a bunch of Aurors can't find her…" Ron trailed off and looked at Harry hopelessly. He didn't like the idea much more than Harry, but he couldn't think of any way of finding their long time friend.

Both boys continued to walk to their class in silence, both contemplating the whereabouts of Hermione. They didn't have long to think before Professor McGonagall came up behind them, placing her hands on both of their shoulders.

"The Headmaster would like to see you, Harry," she informed.

Ron looked up at her as if to ask if he was wanted as well but the professor shook her head.

"I'll see you in class, Harry," Ron said before moving on his way.

"Bring Hermione's wand," Minerva whispered to the boy and walked away.

Harry made his way to the Gryffindor tower before heading over to the Headmaster.

0o0o0o0o

Hermione's wand slowly became lit with a green glow in Dumbledore's wrinkled hand. It wasn't as bright as the last time he had checked it, but seeing the light eased the headmaster greatly.

"I would like to hold on to Ms.Granger's wand from now on," Albus informed Harry, looking up. Harry nodded grimly in reply and stood up, ready to be dismissed. Dumbledore just motioned his hand for Harry to sit back down.

Harry sat back down.

"The Aurors are trying their hardest," Dumbledore began, "but I'm afraid they have run out of places to look. They are searching for some sort of sign or lead to continue this, but so far there isn't any."

"They can't just stop," Harry seemed to plead.

"And they won't," the Headmaster reassured. "However, if at any point you know something that could help, please let me know."

"Of course," Harry said.

Dumbledore nodded his head to himself and stood up. Harry was soon to be on his feet as well, and was kindly walked to the door. Giving a small smile, Harry left the room.

0o0o0o0o

Hermione stood up from the ground, deciding it best to dig Severus a grave. It would only be a matter of time before the body started to smell (more than it already did), and the hole in the ground didn't have much for ventilation. Slowly, Hermione made her way to the back of the pit and shuffled through her pants bag, bringing out the spoon. She had decided it would be best to make the grave at the back of the hole rather than the front, under the canopy of branches, and started to dig. She was in no rush to make the grave; she knew that once she had buried the professor she would truly be alone, with not even the sight of another to console her.

The spoon did not make a great shovel, as she had learned from the many other times she had used it, but she hated the feel of the small pebbles in the dirt scraping against her nails, and although using her hands would be faster, she wasn't opting for speed. The continuous sound of the spoon scraping at the dirt became soothing, distracting her from stagnant air and her thoughts.

The tip of the silver spoon pried through the tough dirt, and the mulch tumbled down the started hole, resting at the bottom. After enough substrate collected at the base of the hole, she removed it to the side and began to work away at the sides again. At the pace she was going, it would take her days to make a hole deep enough to be used as a grave. It didn't matter though. Nothing mattered anymore. She was alone, left to die. No one would find her, and no one would be able to dig her grave. She would rot at the bottom of this hole, only the worms for company.

The spoon dinged against something hard, something unlike the small pebbles in the dirt and the hard clumps of clay. It was dark, and smooth, and she leaned in to get a better look, reaching her hand forward to clear away more of the mulch covering it.

"Another hole, Miss Granger?" came a shallow breath from behind her, "How many holes do you need within a hole?"

Hermione whipped around to see her potions professor looking just as dead as he had when she last looked at him, and realized that she was beginning to hear things. She began to chuckle. She had been alone for less than a day, yet she was already on her way to becoming truly mad.

"I don't see what's so funny," whispered the hallucination again, and this time she she saw his lips move ever so slightly.

"It's your grave, Professor Snape," she giggled.

"And I'm going to need it if you don't come over here right now and help me," Snape hissed as best as he could in his condition.

"But you're already dead!" Hermione exclaimed, flinging her hands in the air.

"I should hope not!" he yelled back as loud as he could (which wasn't that loud really), before violently coughing from the effort.

Hermione was shocked into reality. She wasn't hallucinating, it was quite apparent that the man in front of her was alive, for now. It was unbelievable, inconceivable. She had spent hours trying to revive him, and now, after she had given up hope, he was alive. She began to run towards him but her back foot stumbled on the edge of the hole and she tripped backwards falling onto her elbows and back. Her head hit something hard and she started to feel the slow warm trickle of blood along the coldness of her scalp.

That's when the rumbling began.

At first the shaking confused her. In the back of her mind she thought Snape was yelling at her and she welcomed it. But then she noticed the moving wall ascending above her head. Forgetting the aching in her skull she sat up and turned around, her eyes not moving from the wall and the large room it revealed.

The room resembled nothing of the pit she had been trapped in for days. She stood, longing to explore the dark back rooms and the shelves of potions. Her fingers tingled when she saw the collection of books most resembling the restricted section of Hogwarts' library. She wanted enter the small kitchen and raid the fridge and the cupboards and the drawers, eating everything in sight.

But something stopped her.

Turning around she saw Severus staring in awe at room ahead. Atleast she assumed it was a look of awe. She had never seen her professor look awe-filled before and he eyes could only open so much and his mouth could only part slightly before his lips would crack and dirt would poor in. She knew how dry his lips were considering she had been partnered with them almost all day…

Savagely pushing any thoughts of those kind from her head she rushed to Snape and began to lift his torso from the ground, ready to drag him into the other room. It hadn't occurred to her to check if the room was safe first, or to figure where she could place him once she got there. Only one thing filled her mind and it made her clumsy and caused her to act foolishly.

And that was Severus Snape.

Hermione could tell that he was trying not to groan as she dragged his body over rocks and he bumped over holes. In the room the floor was made of steel and she could hear his pants tear on the screws, but it didn't matter. She could see the dirt smear on the immaculately clean ground but no one cared. It wasn't until she reached the middle of the room that she wondered where to put him.

Slowly she placed his head on the ground and walked over to some of the back rooms to check out the options. One of the rooms contained a bed and desk and when she saw it she rushed over to the professor to bring him over there.

It didn't take her long to drag Snape over to the bed, but getting him on it was another story.

"Do you think if I helped you, you could stand up?" she asked the man half lying on the floor, and half in her arms. All he could do was sling his head back and look up at her through lazy eyes. There was no smile on his face, but when ever was there?

"If I could stand," he drawled "Why would I be allowing you to drag me across a room, carelessly at that."

Hermione rolled her eyes and counted to three aloud before trying to push the professor up and onto the bed. Snape yelped in pain. She could tell it took all he had not to yell at her to be more careful. Hermione tried again and this time managed to get Snape's upper half onto the bed, sandwiched between her and the mattress. She instantly turned red and mumbled a quick apology as she bent over to grab his feet and secured them onto the bed as well.

No thank-you emerged from Severus' lips but Hermione knew how hard it was for him to let her help him.

"I'm going to go see if there is a first-aid in here somewhere," she said. No reply came from the room, but as she exited it, all she could do was smile.

He was alive.

0o0o0o

Harry walked towards class slowly, knowing that if he stalled just right he would miss the last ten minutes of class and wouldn't even have to bear one second with the incompetent new potions teacher, Mr.Basbora. So Instead of walking straight to the class he purposely got messed up on the moving staircases and he meandered through the halls getting distracted by the portraits.

That's when he spotted Seamus walking down the halls slowly as well, and Harry rushed over to talk to him.

"Seamus!" Harry called to stop him from walking off. Seamus turned around instantly but didn't give the warm smile back like Harry was expecting.

"Hi, Harry," he replied as he leaned against the wall.

"Where were you this morning?" Harry asked.

"I was tired. I didn't get much sleep last night, so after breakfast I just went back to bed and decided to miss potions," came the slow reply. Seamus didn't look at Harry as he talked; he looked at the floor instead.

Harry assumed that Seamus was taking Hermione's disappearance worse than all of them.

"How come you're not in class?" Seamus asked Harry, looking up at him this time with some curiosity and some accusation.

"Dumbledore wanted to talk to me about Hermione…" Harry trailed off before speaking again. "I was thinking that we should go looking again tonight after dinner. I'm sure Hagrid will help us agai-"

Seamus cut in.

"We've tried that already and nothing came of it! She's gone Harry and we can't do nothing about it. We aren't going to succeed where a bunch of Aurors are left clueless."

Seamus turned to leave but Harry stepped in front of him.

"If you were missing, Hermione wouldn't stop," the disappointment in Harry's voice was almost unbearable. "She would be searching everywhere, looking for clues everywhere around the castle and searching books for even an inkling of an idea."

Harry didn't wait for Seamus to reply, because he was already leaving him behind. A stunned Seamus was left to watch Harry storm down the hall, with a new determination to find Hermione Granger.

0o0o0o

Severus could feel the stabbing in his arm, the crushing of his lungs, the burning in his throat and the pounding in his head. Any breath he took felt like ice water rushing into his lungs and it made him sputter and cough. Everything was a struggle: breathing, moving…living.

He wanted to just let go.

He had no control over how his body writhed in pain on the sticky muddy ground, or how his throat made the low moans that escaped through his lips. He couldn't see for the pain, although he was certain his eyes were open; he couldn't remember closing them. All the pain that coursed through his body sprouted from that one place on his arm, where the dark mark lay.

The summons had come only ten minutes ago. That's when he knew he was in trouble. There is no deciding not to attend one of the Dark Lord's meetings. When he had made no move to leave, (since he knew there was no escape of the hole) the pain started. At first it was a burning in his flesh, much like the pain he felt as he accepted the mark into his arm in the beginning. But, just as he knew it would, the pain worsened.

He knew he would die in the pit. Any death eater knew what would happen if they didn't respond to being summoned by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He had once tried to defy the pain, when he was more young and foolish, but had not lasted long. Now, however, the only choice was death.

Severus Snape was not afraid of death. He wasn't worried about the other side, whatever that might be, and he wasn't worried of not being able to suffer in the hole any longer. In fact, many times in his life he would prefer death to the wretched life he lived. The only thing that kept him alive was the purpose he had to serve Dumbledore, to be a spy and to conquer the dark.

He couldn't see her, fore he couldn't see. He couldn't feel her, fore the pain surrounding him was too thick. Rather, he could sense her.

"What happened?" He heard her voice echo around him. He couldn't answer her. Another burst of pain erupted through his arm when she grabbed it, and he would have cursed her if he could. All he could manage was the roar of pain that he could feel through his entire core. His pain at her touch did not stop her though and his cries of pain didn't seem to make her hesitate. He tried to push her away, but he was extremely weak and he wasn't even sure if he made his arm move or not.

His ability to breath was failing him and the icy pain of inhaling was becoming short dull pain constant in his lungs. All the pain was starting to ebb from him, but with it went his consciousness. His last thought was of the girl sobs. He never thought anyone would cry as he slowly drifted from this life, to the next.

0o0o0o0o

He didn't know how long he drifted in blackness, he didn't know where he was or what was happening. He had no control over his body, as if he was paralyzed, and he was strangely aware of his inability to breathe. Yet there was no pain. It was as if he was separated, inside his body. He couldn't feel, but he was aware of each stone that leaned against his body. He was aware of each particle of dirt his body rested on. He was aware of the heavy air that hung around him.

He was aware of her.

He could sense her as she pushed down on his chest, and as she pressed her mouth against his to breathe air into his lungs. A sadness filled him, to know how upset she was. Tears dripped onto his cheeks as she hovered about him. He wanted to wake up for her, but he knew he couldn't. The air that momentarily filled his lungs was useless, stagnant and futile; they held none of it and were not even as responsive to reject it.

But she continued on, trying so hard that it made him wonder why. He had done nothing for her. He had belittled her, insulted her and hurt her and still she tried to save the unredeemable. It was curious, her motives, and he couldn't help but want to wake up for her. He didn't want her efforts to be in vain. Her last breath seemed to tug at his chest, he felt it surely but he didn't know how to cultivate it. He wanted to give her hope, and when she stopped and began to sob in her hands it tore at something he didn't quite know he had.

She lay down beside him, and although he couldn't see her, and he couldn't feel her, he knew her. He knew she had given up, that she had spent her strength and her courage and her spirit on him. As she tried to restore his life, she lost hers. As if he could read her thoughts, he knew she wanted to die, and the guilt consumed him.

He tried to move his fingers. He tried to sit up. He tried to scream.

He tried to breathe.

Slowly he could feel the breath enter him, but he knew that his lungs were not filling with the oxygen, but he continued to think of breathing, attempt breathing, and promote the feeling he had had before. He wanted to wake up. He needed to wake up, if not for him, then for her. He couldn't abandon her when she had tried so hard not to give up on him.

He felt the air tickle his lungs, and it encouraged him. Not long after he could feel his lungs catch the air and ever so lightly they rose. But she was distracted with digging his grave, so he continued to try and hang on. He needed help, and he didn't know how long he could keep this small grasp on this existence. It took all he had but he managed to open his mouth and form the first words he could think of.

0o0o0o0o

Severus woke up, coughs wracking his body. He couldn't remember where he was, but when he opened his eyes it all came back to him. Under him was no longer the grime and dirt, but a comfortable white mattress. On him lay a rough green wool blanket that scratched against his skin, but it offered him needed warmth. Suddenly it occurred to him of just how much skin the blanket grazed and he lifted it to see himself clad in only a pair of underwear. He was clean from all of the mud, blood, grime and dirt that had covered his body when he last remembered, but the thought outraged him.

He noticed he was feeling a lot better than he had before. His arm adorned a white bandage wrapped from his elbow to his wrist and his cuts and scrapes had been cleaned and dealt with appropriately. Beside him he noticed an empty potion bottle and noticed the remnants of the bottom to resemble a heavy healing potion. One of which he made for Poppy's storage, but didn't have to replace very often.

Hermione entered the room, not noticing that he had awakened, with a plate of food. It looked delicious compared to the flavored beans he had been living on over the past few days and instantly his mouth started to salivate. Her hair covered her face, and perhaps it was because now it was clean where as before it was filthy, it looked tame and… nice… looking.

Thinking of being clean however brought Severus back to his current situation.

"Miss Granger," he began.

Hermione let out a small gasp as she looked up, but soon smiled. It was a sweet smile and just as the smile he had witnessed once before by her, it surprised and unsettled him. He was not to be distracted however.

"I assume you were the one to tend to me, and bandage my arm," he continued, only pausing shortly for an answer he already knew.

"Well yes, but –"

"Well it might be appreciated by many, especially that imbecile of yours, Seamus or whatever his name may be, but I find it entirely inappropriate and inexcusable for you, especially a student, to be bathing me."

Hermione looked to the ground and giggled, and although Severus couldn't see her face, he saw the redness of her neck and knew her cheeks must be bright red.

"It is not funny, Miss Granger." he continued, "I do not appreciate what you have done and –"

She was now laughing as hard as she could, sitting down on the chair beside his bed for support. Through her guffaws she tried to speak.

"It (chortle) was not (giggle) me (snicker)! It was (snort) Mubbley (cackle) the house elf!" She continued to laugh, bent over from the stomach pains.

Severus was confused, and confusion never sat well with him.

"House elf?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Hermione wiped a tear from her eye and suddenly became serious. It was an odd transformation in Severus' eyes.

"Yes," she replied. "It seems we have a lot to discuss."

Sorry guys for the delay in chapter. Since the last chapter I have moved and I've been on vacation for the last little while. Meanwhile, there have been some changes of what I have decided to do, but also, I know that it was terribly rude of me to leave at such a point in the story and I promise I will make it up to all of you! So, cheers.

-Sar

PS: please review, it does make me feel so much better and encourages me to write more and more! I hope to have a chapter up by the end of this week, but I guess it all depends on how motivated I feel ;).


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